A parliamentary push is underway to bring bicycles and handcarts under stricter traffic control rules following a string of fatal accidents, most recently the death of two Filipino cyclists struck by a speeding vehicle.
The move is being led by Parliament’s foreign affairs, defence and national security committee chairman MP Hassan Bukhammas, who said the panel will meet Interior Ministry officials to discuss activating Article (Five) of the 2014 Traffic Law.
Mr Bukhammas said the law already provides a legal pathway to regulate bicycles and carts in the same manner as motor vehicles – including registration, licensing and insurance – but noted that the provision has yet to be activated through a ministerial decree.
“What we are calling for is not new legislation,” Mr Bukhammas told reporters during a Press conference held yesterday to highlight Parliament’s performance.
“The Traffic Law already empowers the minister to subject bicycles and carts to the same rules applied to vehicles. We are simply asking for this authority to be exercised to protect lives.”
Under Article (4) of the Traffic Law, vehicles are clearly classified into categories, including cars, construction and agricultural vehicles, trailers, semi-trailers, motorcycles, bicycles and carts. However, Article (Five) explicitly states that the provisions related to licensing and ownership under Article (Three) do not automatically apply to bicycles and carts – unless a ministerial decree is issued to include them.
According to Mr Bukhammas, this legal gap has created a situation where bicycles and animal-or human-powered carts use public roads without being subject to any formal regulatory framework.
“Today, a car cannot legally use the road without registration, ownership papers, number plates, insurance and a licensed driver,” he said. “Yet bicycles and carts, which share these same roads, remain outside this system – a serious safety gap.” He noted that cyclists often travel on high-speed highways and poorly lit roads at night without reflective gear, identification or any form of accountability, putting themselves and motorists at risk.
“When a tragedy occurs, there is no way to identify the bicycle, no licensing record, no insurance, and no enforcement mechanism. This must change,” he stressed.
Mr Bukhammas said the committee’s proposal would require bicycles and carts to be registered with the General Directorate of Traffic, with owners obtaining a simple ownership certificate and visible identification plate, similar in concept – but less complex in procedure – to motor vehicles.
He clarified that the goal is not to burden low-income workers who rely on bicycles for transport, but to create a structured safety framework.
“We are not looking to complicate people’s lives. We want a system that is simple, affordable and primarily focused on safety – such as mandatory lights, reflectors, basic identification and third-party insurance coverage.”
He added that many countries have already adopted similar measures for cyclists, especially in urban areas with mixed traffic conditions.
The committee will also discuss enforcement measures with the Interior Ministry, including permitted areas for bicycles and possible restrictions on highways without designated cycling lanes. “The roads are for everyone, but they must be used safely and responsibly,” Mr Bukhammas said. “Regulation is not punishment, it is protection.”
He stressed that the recent deaths had highlighted the urgency of activating the legal tools already available under the Traffic Law.
“We cannot wait for more accidents before taking action. The law is clear. What is needed now is the executive decision to implement it.”
The committee is expected to submit formal recommendations following its meeting with ministry officials.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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