Page 340 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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Two fatal accidents occurred on the Manamah-Awali Road near Suq-Al-Khamis; in one ease
a young boy and the other an old woman were killed. This is a straight open stretch of road where
a number of fatal accidents have occuircd in the past, mainly as result of fast driving. There do not
appear to be any " black spots ” for road accidents, and one or two of the fatal accidents occurred
in places very little used by motor Vehicles.
Of the large number of pedal cycles on the roads very few were involved in accidents. Only
9 eases were reported during the year. The cyclists involved were nearly all children.

There were 22 accidents in which Americans or Europeans were involved. This is over 20
per cent of the total accidents. Taking into consideration the number of American and European
drivers and the number of local drivers and also the number of hours each arc driving, the local drivers
come out by far the best.
Fourteen vehicles of the Bahrain Government were involved in road accidents during the year.
Generally, the cause of road accidents is fast driving and the good surfaced roads between
Hedd, Muharraq and Manamah have tended to speed up the driving. 52 persons involved in accidents
were prosecuted during the year.
Public Conveyance Vehicles.—Taxi Cabs. Taxi cabs total 130, this is only 7 more than
the previous year, but a number were taken off the road as unfit. Taxi-Buses. The total number of
public buses now on the road is 91, 8 more than in the year 1369. A number of these vehicles were
scrapped as unsafe by the Traffic Department.
The number of taxi cars and buses appears to be more than is necessary for the public, this
results in fast driving to pick up passengers which is the cause of accidents. These vehicles were
involved in more than 27 per cent of the total number of accidents. As usual all public service vehicles
(cabs and buses) were examined by the Traffic Department as well as privately owned vehicles. In
all over 1,000 vehicles were checked. Motor vehicles, generally, arc in good condition and only 72
were taken off the road during the year by Police, or by owners themselves, in the year 1369, 115
vehicles were scrapped.
Driving Tests.—The number of driving tests carried out during the year was 803, of this
number 290 were successful.
Parking Areas.—Parking space is still a problem in the towns, and the market and shopping
areas are becoming very congested. In Manamah, however, an improvement was effected by the
opening of a new bus stand on a site on the side of the sea road which had been reclaimed from the sea.
It is hoped that suitable bus and taxi stands will be available in Muharraq in the near future, boot-
ways arc being constructed along some roads in Manamah which will no doubt prevent any accidents
in which pedestrians are concerned.
Traffic Offences.— The total number of traffic offences prosecuted by the Traffic Section
during the year in both courts was 188. Fines amounted to Rs. 16,330. In 24 cases, driving licenses
were suspended and in one case a driving license was revoked. Two taxi licenses were also suspended.
Two drivers involved in fatal accidents were prosecuted in the Bahrain Court and received severe
sentences. For a time this had a marked effect on local drivers and the number of accidents was
reduced. One British subject was prosecuted for causing death by negligence as result of a road
accident, he was not found guilty and the ease was dismissed.
Speed checks were carried out at Muharraq and Manamah and as a result 41 eases were reported.
Nine of these eases involved Americans and British. 34 persons were prosecuted and fined a total of
Rs. 1,225, *n one rase the offenders driving license was suspended, 6 cases were dealt with by "cautions .
Other Offences.—In both courts the Traffic Section also dealt with 18 non-traffic offences
such as theft, unlawful possession of property, cheating, passing forged currency, insulting behaviour
and drunkenness. In two eases the accused were acquitted.