Call for licence reform as road offences rise

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Handbrake turns, redlight runs and emergency-lane dashes are now everyday sights on Bahrain’s roads, says MP Hassan Ebrahim, who wants tougher laws, driver retraining and road-sense lessons in schools.

He warns that these habits have moved from scattered lapses to a shared pattern.

“These are no longer single mistakes,” he said. “We need rules with real bite and courses that teach repeat offenders how to behave behind the wheel.”

Crash data and day-to-day observations from the General Directorate of Traffic point to a steady rise in sudden swerves, lane-straddling and haphazard parking, especially at rush hour.

Compulsory courses

Ebrahim praises the UAE, where fines come with compulsory courses.

“The UAE’s record shows stronger penalties work, yet the ticket on its own is only half the cure,” he said. “Change comes when the driver’s attitude is fixed as well.”

Reckless driving, he insists, cuts across the board.

“You see it among citizens and expats, men and women alike. It shows up most among the young, so our first task is to reach them,” he said, urging a joint push by the education, interior and youth ministries.

Problem

Stress, poor time-keeping and simmering frustration feed the problem, he added.

Crowded districts and scarce parking worsen it.

“When a driver can’t find a legal place to leave the car, he stops wherever he can,” he noted.

Penalties

He wants the Traffic Law rewritten so penalties rise with each repeat and unpaid fines block licence or insurance renewal.

He also backs a secure digital channel for anonymous public reports of dangerous driving.

“Road safety belongs to all of us,” he said. “Law, learning and public vigilance must pull together. Only then will our roads feel safe again.”