If you manage an industrial facility in Jubail, Yanbu, or Riyadh, you probably have a parking lot full of 50-seater buses.
But if you look inside those buses at 6:00 AM, what do you see? Are they full? Or are there 15 workers sitting in a bus meant for 50?
This is the Empty Seat Epidemic in Saudi Arabia.
Most Facility Managers plan their transport based on Headcount (total employees). But on any given day, staff are on leave, sick, or driving their own cars. If you rent a bus based on headcount, you are paying for air, not people.
In this guide, we explain how to move from Fixed Rentals to Dynamic Fleet Sizing to cut your operational costs (OpEx) by up to 30%.
The 3 Signs Your Fleet is Bloated
Before we fix the problem, you need to spot it. If any of these sound familiar, your fleet is too big.
The 15-in-50 Problem
You use the same 50-seater bus for the Night Shift as you do for the Day Shift, even though the Night Shift has 70% fewer workers.
Static Routes
Your bus runs the exact same route every day, stopping at empty pickup points because nobody told the driver that "Ahmed is on vacation."
The Ghost Riders
You pay a Transport Allowance to employees, but they still take the company bus. You are paying twice for the same person.
How Dynamic Fleet Sizing Cuts Costs?
How do you reduce the fleet without leaving anyone behind? You stop guessing and start using Utilization Logic. Here is the 4-step formula Swvl uses to optimize fleets in KSA.
1. The Data Audit
Most companies rent buses based on the number of visas they have. We deploy the Swvl App for 2 weeks to track actual ridership. We often find that out of 500 "eligible" staff, only 380 are actually riding. You instantly drop from 10 buses to 8.
2. Dynamic Vehicle Sizing
Traditional rental contracts lock you into big buses for 12 months. Our algorithm detects low demand shifts and automatically swaps the 50-seater bus for a Toyota Coaster or a Van. You pay for the vehicle you use, not the one you rented last year.
3. Eliminating Ghost Riders
In Saudi Arabia, it is common to give senior staff a transport allowance. Swvl’s dashboard identifies specific employees who receive an allowance but still book the bus. You can flag these "Ghost Riders" to HR to stop the double-spending immediately.
4. Route Stacking
If you have two facility sites with shifts starting 1 hour apart, Swvl uses the same bus to drop off Site A at 7:00 AM, then loops it to pick up Site B at 8:00 AM. You pay for 1 bus instead of 2, slashing your fixed asset cost by 50%.
Top Providers for Industrial Transport in KSA
Which provider is right for you? It depends on whether you want "Optimization" or just "Volume."
Method A: The Smart Optimizers
Best for: Companies who want to cut costs and track data.
Swvl Specialized in route optimization, removing empty seats, and automated billing. Best for changing shifts.
Afaqy Great for hardware tracking (telematics) and fleet management software.
Method B: The Massive Fleet Providers
Best for: Mega-projects where volume matters more than efficiency.
SAPTCO The government choice. Ideal for massive, static movements.
Hafil Transport Excellent for Hajj/Umrah and moving thousands of laborers on fixed routes.
Method C: Traditional Rental
Best for: Simple, long-term leasing without drivers.
Budget / Avis / Hanco Good for leasing the vehicle if you have your own drivers.
Local Brokers Cheapest upfront price, but high risk of breakdown and zero data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Swvl's optimization logic reduce transport costs?
Most transport budgets are wasted on "fixed assets" that run empty. Swvl cuts costs by changing the vehicle size based on daily demand. If only 20 people are working a night shift, the system sends a 22-seater Coaster instead of a 50-seater bus. This allows you to pay only for the capacity you actually use, rather than a fixed monthly rental.
What is the difference between Headcount and Ridership?
Headcount is the total number of employees on your payroll. Ridership is the actual number of people who step onto the bus. In KSA, we often see a gap between the two due to leave, sick days, or employees driving their own cars. If you plan your fleet based on Headcount, you are paying for empty seats.
How do I eliminate "Ghost Riders" from my factory buses?
A "Ghost Rider" is an employee who receives a cash transport allowance but still uses the free company bus. To stop this, you need digital tracking. Swvl cross-references your HR allowance list with actual bus boarding data to identify these employees so you can stop the double-spending.
Can we use the same bus for two different shifts?
Yes, this is called Route Stacking. If you have two sites (e.g., a factory and a dorm) with shifts that start 45–60 minutes apart, you can use one bus to service both. The bus drops off the first group and immediately loops back for the second group, reducing your total fleet requirement.