When trucks take over your street

Muharraq residents demand action, fear the worst

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

When 20 commercial vehicles take over a residential neighbourhood, where do residents park -- and how do ambulances get through?

Residents in parts of Muharraq say their neighbourhoods are being squeezed by commercial lorries, pick-ups and minibuses that are occupying scarce parking spaces and choking narrow residential streets.

The problem, according to Muharraq Municipal Council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar, can be particularly severe in some areas, where as many as 20 commercial vehicles are parked among homes.

"Imagine a neighbourhood where parking is already limited, then you find 20 of these vehicles taking the spaces," Al Naar told The Daily Tribune. "They compete with residents for parking and make it harder to move through the area."

But the issue goes beyond inconvenience.

Al Naar warned that vehicles parked along residential roads could also occupy the space needed by Civil Defence vehicles and ambulances, raising concerns about whether emergency crews would be able to reach homes quickly when every second counts.

The vehicles include medium-sized cargo lorries, locally known as "six-wheelers", along with pick-ups and minibuses operated by contracting companies.

The council has previously pushed for commercial lorries to be kept out of residential neighbourhoods. However, authorities had told the council that some of the vehicles concerned do not fall under the legal definition of heavy vehicles.

That distinction has become central to the dispute.

Under Bahrain's Traffic Law, trucks, heavy vehicles, public transport vehicles and trailers are prohibited from parking in residential areas. The implementing rules define a heavy transport vehicle as one weighing more than 3,000kg.

The law also requires companies and private establishments to provide adequate parking for their vehicles at their work sites, away from residential areas.

Al Naar said residents have repeatedly called for commercial vehicles to be moved away from their homes and for proper parking facilities to be provided elsewhere.

He specifically pointed to Bin Hindi, as well as areas around Al Hala Club and Al Hala Health Centre, where company vehicles are reportedly occupying spaces needed by residents and visitors.

There is another problem after dark.

Al Naar said some commercial vehicle drivers are taking advantage of Muharraq's free parking period, which begins at 7pm, particularly around Al Muntaza Markets.

According to him, some drivers arrive just before 7pm and leave their vehicles until around 6am -- effectively occupying parking spaces throughout most of the night.

He is now calling for free parking to begin at 10pm instead of 7pm, arguing that the current system is worsening the parking shortage and pushing more traffic into already narrow residential streets.

"Some neighbourhoods had as many as

20 commercial vehicles parked among homes,

leaving residents struggling for spaces and making it

harder to get through narrow streets."

                               ABDULAZIZ AL NAAR,

                              CHAIRMAN OF MUHARRAQ MUNICIPAL COUNCIL