Bahrain Customs is going green by upgrading to electric cars at ports and warehouses.
Its officers are already using Renault Twizy, a compact, two-seater electric quadricycle with zero emissions, within the Khalifa Bin Salman Port premises.
Plans are now being discussed to introduce more such vehicles.
“We are revamping the Customs and this is part of our current strategy – to upgrade all our systems, whether they are scanners or equipment used by our officers,” Customs president Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa told the GDN.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference (BIDEC) that was held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Sanabis.
Shaikh Ahmed said the small size of Renault Twizy made it practical to use around the warehouse or the port.
“Previously, petrol-driven vehicles needed to be taken out weekly to be refilled.
“But with the new vehicles we not only save money but also help the environment.”
A full charge of the electric car lasts for 28 days.
Shaikh Ahmed also said his department was looking to use the latest technology, including artificial intelligence, to boost international trade and further help Customs officers by providing them with X-rays, scanners, special vehicles and chemical detection devices.
“For example, the high-tech scanners we now use has helped officers process 120 trucks per hour on an average, up from 20 lorries.”
The Nuctech X-ray scanners can screen containers and lorries, with two each being deployed at the King Fahad Causeway and at the Khalifa Bin Salman Port.
The use of these machines has helped reduce waiting time for checking goods besides enhancing Customs procedures, said Shaikh Ahmed.
“Time is crucial in logistics and flow of goods,” he added.
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