By Souhail Karam MECCA, Saudi Arabia, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Tired Muslims making the haj pilgrimage to Mecca gave up walking on the final day and put themselves in the hands of unscrupulous taxi drivers to complete the gruelling rites on time. Over 2.5 million pilgrims have followed a 44 km (28 mile) route through the mountains round Mecca over the last four days, mostly on foot, and on Monday they were hurrying to Islam's holiest city for a final prescribed visit to its Grand Mosque. "Get out of my face, it's 150 riyals ($40)! Don't waste my time," a Saudi moped driver snapped at pilgrims who tried to bargain over the 5 km ride into the city. Pilgrims were jumping onto or into whatever form of transport they could to reach Mecca from the narrow mountain pass of Mena, where they had spent two days taking part in the traditional ritual of stoning the devil. The moped owners, able to dodge nimbly through the congested traffic and rotting piles of rubbish lining the streets, were the biggest gainers. "They make about 1,000 riyals in 2 hours, while it would take us at least 6 hours of work to make that kind of money," said Yousef al-Atheery, a Saudi driving a large SUV. Most pilgrims were paying 30 riyals to ride inside the large cars, or 15 riyals to ride on the roof. Local livestock truck drivers joined in, offering pilgrims another cheap alternative. "The car is far more practical for the elderly," said Algerian Abdel-Ali Tawati, accompanying his mother in a car carrying 25 people. "It stinks out there, you just can't walk." Pilgrims have praised the Saudi authorities for improved organisation that has ensured no repeat of a series of deadly overcrowding tragedies that have beset the haj in recent years. But the problem of smoothly transporting more than two million people to the various haj locations remains unresolved. Efforts to ban motorcycles and other vehicles have failed. By the final day, fewer pilgrims are prepared to walk, even if progress is slower in a car. "Look at the pedestrians, they are moving faster than the cars," said Hamdan bin Musaileh, a Yemeni passenger in a car. "I bet they get a better reward from God for walking to the Grand Mosque rather than getting a ride."
