Page 334 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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POLICE AND PUBLIC SECURITY
(From the report of Shaikh Khalifnh bin Mohamed Al-Khalifah, Superintendent, Slate Police.)
General.—The Strength of the Police. At the end of the year there was a deficiency of 71
men on pre-war establishment which is below present day needs. The improvements in pay and
in conditions which were recommended and which were approved by the Government did not succeed
in attracting recruits or preventing resignations. Although .|.| men joined the Force during the year,
the number of discharges amounted to 51 (including dismissals and desertions).
Voluntary resignations still continue to be high, and it is disturbing to note that most of the
men who resigned had long service in the Force, this provides further evidence that " averaging '*
has failed in its purpose and that in 1371 men still leave the Force because of their dissatisfaction with
Police rates of pay. The inan-power shortage in the State Police is even more serious than it looks
on paper, for the present authorised establishment takes no account of the increase of Police responsibil­
ities and the changes of population since the end of the war.
Markets and Shops used to be in one restricted area (i.c., the market itself) but since the Muni­
cipality started widening the streets shops have been opened in all parts of the town and new localities
have to be policed, the need for traffic supervision has also become greater in these areas.

Suggestions on Roads.—The main roads between Hcdd, Muharraq and Manamah have been
gradually improved each year and in consequence serious accidents on these roads have become less.
Probably the best road is from Manamah through the date-palm area to Al-Kawari bridge. This
road has been widened and in some places the Government purchased lands from private owners at
great costs to achieve this. The surface is practically non-skid during any weather. This is another
place where serious accidents have become less owing to improved road conditions.

Probably the worst stretch of road in Bahrain is from Al-Kawari bridge to Awali, this road
is rather narrow especially for the large type of vehicles that continually use it. The surface is danger­
ous during most parts of the year also in many places the camber is bad. Traffic on this road is
heavy throughout the year and it had been the site of many serious accidents in the past including
fatalities. During the last 2 years, 1369 and 1370, on this stretch of road alone the accidents totalled
47. This includes 3 deaths, 18 serious personal injuries and 20 accidents causing serious damage.
A surface similar to the road in the date-palm area is urgently needed from Al-Kawari bridge
to Awali and the road too should be widened. To widen and surface this road would probably take
some considerable time and it would be a very expensive undertaking, but it could be done gradually.
To meet the cost of this the Registration Fees for Motor Vehicles would have to be increased.

The present rate, Rs. 50 per year for a privately owned vehicle regardless of unladen weight
load carrying capacity or seating capacity, does not appear to be fair. For instance, a privately
owned bus capable of carrying 80 passengers is charged Rs. 50 annually, whereas a small private
motor-car of ten or twelve horse-power is charged the same rate. *Quite a number of heavy commer­
cial vehicles, some weighing as much as ten tons, unladen, pay only Rs. 50 per annum.
Suggestions for increasing the annual Registration Fees for vehicles will shortly be put forward.
This will greatly increase the annual charges on some of the heavier types of vehicles.
Strength.—At the end of 1370 the strength of the Stale Police and Naturs was as follows :

State Police Officers
Superintendent 1
Inspectors 3
Sub-Inspectors 3