ALLEGATIONS of heavy-handed behaviour by the Northern Municipality against a food truck owner sparked a heated debate in Bahrain’s largest municipal council at its weekly meeting.
Northern Municipal Council technical committee chairman Abdullah Al Qubaisi alleged that the municipality “was operating outside the scope of the law”.
He told councillors during the council’s last meeting of the year that a food truck in Salman Town was removed without the owner’s consent or knowledge, and without a clear indication of the law supporting the decision.
“We received a complaint from a citizen in Salman Town that his food truck was removed without a warning or notice on the grounds that the land on which the vehicle was parked belonged to the Housing Ministry,” he said.
“The vehicle was seized with the dishes, food items and other equipment, and dumped at a site for scrap vehicles.
“There is no clause in the 2019 Public Cleanliness Law or the 1996 Operation of Public Roads Law that allows for this action to be taken against a food truck – which isn’t a regular scrap or abandoned vehicle.”
The outspoken councillor added that the food truck owner was not occupying public road as he was on open land; his vehicle was legal and officially registered.
The owner also claimed that no warning was issued prior to seizing the vehicle.
Mr Al Qubaisi added that the owner was fined BD100 – which he has to pay in order to get his vehicle back.
Municipality director general Lamya Al Fadhala responded that inspectors work according to the law, adding that, however, a comprehensive investigation will be launched into the issue.
“Not everything that people come forward with is true and in matters like this we must look at the situation from every angle before making claims or taking a decision,” she stated.
“We operate using a governance system and we can’t just cancel fines on a whim unless there is a legitimate reason to do so.
“If we find a mistake in the process that was carried out then we have the full right to cancel the fine and hold the inspector accountable.
“If the inspection process was conducted correctly then the owner must pay the fine in order for the vehicle to be released.”
She added that regulations, laws and directives are operational and in place to govern the organisation of food trucks, especially those in residential areas.
“We don’t remove anything from the road without referring to the law, and we operate according to regulations and mechanisms in place,” said municipality supervision and inspection department head Abdulaziz Al Wadi.
“We issue warnings, paste stickers on violating vehicles and follow the same protocol in every single case.
“Our procedures are transparent and the council is fully aware of all our protocols.”
An official letter requesting details of the food truck removal operation was approved by councillors and will be referred to Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf for a review.
reem@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))