«البلديات»: 5 تصنيفات لورش إصلاح وسائل النقل

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has approved the technical, operational, and regulatory requirements for transportation repair centers and workshops, which include licensing requirements, professional classifications for workshops, architectural conditions, and basic equipment.

The ministry emphasized the necessity for investors to comply with the procedures for issuing, renewing, amending, canceling, and suspending municipal licenses in accordance with the municipal licensing procedures system and its executive regulations.

It is required to obtain prior approval from the Civil Defense before issuing the license and to provide a valid commercial registration that includes the activities to be licensed, in addition to the approval of the supervising authority for the commercial activity.

The ministry indicated that any practice of the activity without a license or after its expiration is considered a violation, and it is prohibited to conduct the activity outside the workshop boundaries or to use public sidewalks or adjacent external spaces, with the prohibition of reopening the workshop if it has been closed by regulatory authorities unless the violation is rectified and official approval is obtained.

The ministry classified transportation repair workshops under its new requirements into five main categories, according to the nature of the activity practiced by each workshop, ensuring more precise organization of work and providing more specialized services to beneficiaries.

Category (A) includes workshops specialized in comprehensive repair of all mechanical, electrical, and electronic vehicle systems, including engines, transmissions, suspension systems, as well as services for equipping vehicles for the elderly and people with disabilities, and chemical treatments such as rust removal and part machining.

Category (B) includes workshops concerned with light mechanical and electrical repairs, simple electronics maintenance, and air conditioning systems, while category (C) is designated for workshops repairing external structures and repainting and polishing.

Category (D) is for workshops specialized in maintaining specific parts such as heat exchangers (radiators), exhaust systems, air suspension systems, brakes, glass installation, seat upholstery, and oil changes.

Finally, category (E) includes workshops that provide battery testing and replacement services, and these can be established either as independent centers or attached to commercial establishments.

The ministry allowed the establishment of specialized and independent maintenance centers on commercial streets and in logistical areas, according to specific requirements.

Compliance with the Building Code

The new requirements mandated workshops to fully comply with the Saudi Building Code in all its branches, which include structural, electrical, and mechanical requirements, as well as ventilation and air conditioning requirements, health requirements, and energy consumption rationalization.

The ministry confirmed the necessity of having all design and implementation works approved by licensed engineering offices and contractors, with full compliance with the approved standard specifications at all stages.

It emphasized the prohibition of removing closure stickers or reopening the workshop without official permission, and required workshop owners to keep the facility's facade free of any unauthorized stickers, except for approved stickers such as working hours, payment methods, QR codes, official instructions, and prohibited the closing or occupying of parking spaces designated in the building permit or using them for unauthorized purposes, stressing the necessity of stopping vehicles within the workshop boundaries and not causing obstruction to adjacent roads or sidewalks.

Equipping with Equipment and Facilities

The requirements stipulated the necessity of equipping workshops with the necessary equipment and facilities according to the type of licensed activity, in accordance with the technical regulations for classifying vehicle repair and maintenance centers. The proposed equipment includes emission measurement tools from vehicles, car battery charging equipment, lifting and transporting tools for heavy equipment within the workshop, and a first aid kit.

The ministry stressed the importance of providing special equipment to deal with spills and oils, including liquid-absorbing materials, and ensuring that any leakage is cleaned up immediately and restoring the condition to what it was before the spill.

Electronic Payment Methods

The requirements confirmed the provision of a comprehensive oil processing system that includes a special barrier to prevent its leakage into the sewage network, with the necessity of periodically inspecting the barrier at least every three months and cleaning it regularly to prevent sediment accumulation. It is required to collect used oils in a designated tank and dispose of them through recycling companies or approved carriers, in addition to providing specialized cleaning tools to remove traces of spills immediately, installing security surveillance cameras inside the workshops, and early fire detection and alarm systems, with full compliance with Civil Defense instructions. Workshops are required to provide electronic payment methods for all customers as part of the digital transformation and to improve the beneficiary experience.