Page 253 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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Telephone Department.—The total number of subscribers connected at the end of 1364
was 108.
Some improvement in operation has been effected by the provision of a ringing transformer
supplied by Messrs. Cable & Wireless Limited. This precludes the necessity for the switchboard
7 operator to call a subscriber by means of a hand operated generator after the plugging operation.
Numerous applications for extensions have been refused owing to the non-availability of new instru­
ments and line materials. Some instruments are on order, but additional orders have been held in
abeyance in view of the projected automatic system which will render all existing equipment, excepting
lines, redundant.
Transport Department—The Government Garage carried out major repairs and servicing of
all Government vehicles (29) during 1364.
There is an acute shortage of vehicles of all types and those at present in use are almost without
exception in bad condition. Most of them are old and essential spares were not available either in
Bahrain or India. Hitherto, there has been no attempt to standardise types of either load carrying
vehicles or touring cars, and in consequence, interchangeability of parts has been impossible. There is
only one vehicle available for ambulance work and this, in addition to these duties has to carry out
the collection and distribution of stores, personnel and other extraneous duties. Its average period
of running per day during the past year has been 14 hours. An order for a number of new vehicles
has been placed in England and their arrival is anticipated during the first half of 1946. When they
become available, it is proposed to dispose of most of the old and inefficient vehicles now in use. The
cost of the maintenance of these during the past year, owing to the non-availability of essential spares,
has been uneconomical and the low percentage of serviceability has retarded the progress of work
in all Departments.
Fire Section.—The Government and Municipal Fire Engines extinguished 16 fires during 1364,
one of which was a large outbreak in the R.A.F. Camp, Muharraq, in July 1945. Firefighting facilities
will be considerably improved when the proposed mains water system is installed in Manamah. This
will provide essential stand pipe hose connections in important built up areas. Government buildings,
hospitals, etc.
Traffic Section.—The State Engineer's Department continued to cany out the registration
of all motor vehicles in the State, testing of brakes, lights, etc. (in accordance with the Bahrain Govern­
ment Motor Vehicle Proclamation of 1357) until the arrival of the British Police Detachment in
September to whom these duties have been allocated. The licensing and re-licensing of all drivers was
also carried out by this Department; 294 heavy and light vehicle drivers being examined in the above
period by the State Engineer, out of which 193 passed. An inspection of all taxi cabs, buses and
trucks was also made during the month of July with the view to ascertaining their suitability for
public service, and in the case of buses, to determine their passenger and load carrying capacities.
Almost without exception all vehicles were required to have a large number of repairs carried out
before they could be passed as roadworthy. The standard of roadworthiness accepted is considerably
lower than what it would have been in normal circumstances. The inability of owners to obtain
essential spare parts during the years of the war has been the chief cause of the poor condition of their
vehicles. A further contributory factor has been the general low standard of craftsmanship and lack
of proper repair facilities in the local garages. The control and issue of tyres, tubes and batteries was
carried out as in the past two years by the State Engineer’s Department.
Shaikh Hamad Bridge.—This continued to operate successfully during 1945 and with the
exception of some minor repairs to both of the actuating motors which necessitated the construction of
two gantry platforms to facilitate their removal, no repairs to the main structure was required. Owing
to collisions by barges when passing through the water channels, several fenders have been wrecked,
also the buffer stop mounting on the Muharraq side. In addition, the guard rails, on both sides of the
bridge, the police shelter and the causeway coping have been severely damaged by road vehicles of
which only one was traced.
Total revenue for the year 1364 amounted to Rs. 98,867-8 as compared with Rs. 66.260-6 in
1363. An increase of Rs. 32,607-2. Operating costs, etc., including all charges and depreciation
amounted to Rs. 26,975-12-11, leaving a surplus of Rs. 71,891.
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