Reports | 25 05 2020
With the penury in decent Syrian gasoline, and the exorbitant prices—if and when available; people in the Syrian al-Jazeera province are flocking to the Syrian-produced SABA car model. These cars run on different types of gasoline, unlike most other modern cars.
In the city of Qamishli, the SABA model constitutes almost 75% of the taxi population. This model has even been nicknamed "the Queen," according to some of Qamishli city lines' drivers.
Ahmad, a driver on the Hilaliyeh line in Qamishli and a SABA owner himself, says that it works better than others. It can put up with the inferior quality gasoline, he says, "SABA is much better than others. It operates on the cheap local gasoline, and does not have the fuel injection system. It therefore is economical for all citizens, and drivers as well."
Ahmad says that new cars are more comfortable for the driver; whereas his SABA bogs him down at work, with its constant need for repair.
For his part Alan, a Kia Rio model owner, says: "With SABA, you can use bad gasoline, and the driver charges between 100 and 150 [Syrian] Pounds for a ride. A Kia, on the other hand, requires the more expensive gasoline which costs 300 Pounds per liter; therefore a ride will cost between 300 and 400 Pounds—for the same distance."
Another Qamishli native tells Rozana: "I am most certainly going to use the cheaper ride. It is only natural that SABA rides will cost cheaper, as they use cheaper gasoline."
Listen to this story in Arabic HERE