Page 191 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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Considering the amount of machinery, Mechanical Transport, and Electrical and Mechanical
equipment which requires to be efficiently maintained, it is apparent that such work has in the past
been done in a most unsatisfactory and expensive manner through being put out to various local
workshops where poor equipment and a low standard of workmanship has produced inefficient repairs.
In view of this, arrangements have been made to provide a Fitting Shop in the vicinity of the
Power House and an Electrical Shop in the Building of the Electricity Department. The work is
well in hand and certain hand tools, benches, and associated equipment has been provided from local
sources. Other essential machine tools and equipment, it is hoped, will be made available by the
Ministry of Supply in England (Machine Tool Control) and the necessary enquiries for their
provision have been made.
When the Workshops are available it will be possible to carry out more expeditiously and
economically all essential repairs to the generating plant and other equipment associated with
Mechanical Transport, Flour Mills, Water systems and Hospital Appliances. Also electrical
equipment such as motors, fans, refrigerators, air conditioning units, etc.

It is hoped that further material advantage will accrue from the raising of the standard of skill
of the mechanics as a result of practical experience and the use of proper tools on repair work. The
present general standard of skill of most of the mechanics of the Department is very low.

Telephone Department.—The number of subscribers connected at the end of 1363 was 104.
The new 50 line switchboard ordered in 1943 (1362) arrived during 1363 and is in use. The total
capacity of the exchange is 150 lines. Enquiries are now being made by Messrs. Cable and Wireless
Limited, Bahrain, in connection with a proposal to supply a fully automatic system in substitution
of the present manually operated one. It is considered that the installation of an automatic system
would prove to be extremely beneficial to all subscribers and would eliminate the numerous unsatis­
factory factors to which the present system is subject such as exchange delays, crossed lines, unclear
reception, etc. Applications for additional connections have had to be refused owing to the difficulty
in obtaining new telephone instruments, wire, etc.

This Department was self supporting during the year 1363.

Transport Department.—The Government Garage carried out the repairing and servicing
of all Government vehicles (27) during 1363. Great difficulty has been experienced in keeping vehicles
on the road owing to spare parts not being available locally or obtainable from Overseas.

The Government of India, through the Political Agent, Bahrain, has again been of great
assistance in the matter of tyres. Another quota was allotted to Bahrain, otherwise Government
and essential public vehicles would have come to a standstill. As before, the distribution of these
tyres is controlled by the State Engineer’s Department.

All enquiries and efforts to obtain new vehicles for use of the Government officials have as yet
been without success. With a view to effecting an improvement in the standard of maintenance and
repair of mechanical transport vehicles, the personnel have been divided into separate gangs for repair
and servicing.
Three repair gangs, each consisting of one fitter, one fitter's mate and one coolie, have been
formed and issued with an up-to-date kit of essential hand tools. Each gang works as an individual
unit and is allotted work as requisite.

The servicing gang consisting of one fitter's mate and one coolie, assisted by the driver of the
vehicle concerned carries out the normal servicing routine of every vehicle once in every 14 days. It
has been found that this period is a more suitable guide than mileage owing to the peculiar weather
and climatic conditions prevailing.