Ziyad Al-Damjani

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MADINAH — Several residents of the city have expressed their displeasure over the fees they are charged every time they call the municipality’s emergency telephone number 940 to complain about violations in shops and market places.



The residents have asked the municipality to make this number a toll-free telephone like emergency telephone numbers of the Civil Defense, the Red Crescent, police and other government departments. They were unanimous that the information they provide to the municipality about violations were in the interest of the general public.



Saeed Al-Harbi, a Saudi, recalled that he wanted to inform about a certain violation at one of the shops but his mobile phone was low on credit. "The moment I started talking to the municipality the line went dead because my mobile phone ran short of credit," he said. He added that he had no idea that he had to pay for using the emergency telephone number of the municipality.



Al-Harbi said he was very embarrassed to ask a passerby to use his phone and was afraid that if he went out to buy credit for his phone the shop owner might try to correct the violation. He asked the municipality to make this emergency phone a toll-free number so that people will not find it a burden to report any violation.



Fahd Aqeel, another Saudi, said he called the municipality's emergency number to inform them about a certain violation but had to wait on the line for more than four minutes during which time his credit ran out.



"I could not talk to any official or make the complaint against the violating shop. I will never think of using the municipality's emergency number to inform about violations," he said.



Abdullah Al-Enzi wants services from the municipality additional to informing them about violations through its emergency number. "The municipality should cover the stagnant water pools that breed mosquitoes instead of limiting its role to receiving complaints from the citizens through its emergency telephone number," he said.



Al-Enzi said the problem of the chargeable emergency numbers is not limited to Madinah only. "This is a common problem in all cities and towns," he said.



Spokesman of the municipality Ayed Al-Bilaihshi said this was a unified number in all regions. He said a citizen who wants to call in a violation should go to the municipality branch nearest to him, use the municipality's website or wait for its field teams who are roaming the city round the clock.