No service for double-parkers

Proposal would make eateries turn away drivers who block roads while waiting for orders

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Drivers who double-park outside restaurants and cafés could be denied their food and drinks under a proposal aimed at easing night-time congestion in Muharraq.

Saleh Buhazza, Vice-Chairman of Muharraq Municipal Council, called for businesses to stop serving customers who leave their vehicles in prohibited areas while waiting for takeaway orders.

The proposal mainly targets busy tea shops, grills and restaurants where staff deliver orders to customers waiting in their cars. Councillors say the practice encourages motorists to stop in a second row or obstruct parts of the road.

Mr Buhazza said businesses should share responsibility for parking-related congestion, adding that those continuing to serve wrongly parked customers could face fines or licensing action.

“When congestion starts, it runs from sunset until dawn,” he said. “We want a decision saying that anyone who parks wrongly in the street should not be served.”

He cited similar measures used elsewhere in the Gulf and said Bahrain could adopt a comparable approach, placing greater responsibility on businesses instead of relying solely on traffic patrols.

The proposal came as Muharraq Municipal Council reaffirmed its call for flexible plastic bollards in Galali, where double-parking has been reported near restaurants.

Councillor Dalal Al Maqahwi said the problem was particularly serious along Galali Avenue in Block 254, where vehicles frequently stop in a second row. She said bollards could discourage motorists from leaving their cars there.

She also linked improper parking to reduced visibility for drivers and pedestrians, increasing the risk of accidents, while residents have complained about congestion and constant car horns.

“We need a strict law to stop this random parking,” she said.

However, the General Directorate of Traffic said its traffic engineering branch found that plastic bollards would not address the misuse of the road or wrongful parking. Traffic patrols have instead been instructed to monitor the area at different times and record violations.

Muharraq Council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar also called for other problem areas to be identified so similar measures could be considered.