Fresh calls are being made for tougher enforcement against the growing use of electric scooters and bicycles by shop and café workers, despite sweeping new traffic regulations introduced just two weeks ago.
MPs and municipal councillors say the new rules are a welcome step, but argue that enforcement remains insufficient as riders continue to dart across busy roads, weave through traffic and deliver orders to homes and motorists waiting on the opposite side of carriageways.
The issue sparked heated discussions at the Muharraq Municipal Council yesterday, where members warned that lives remained at risk despite the General Directorate of Traffic’s recent crackdown.
Strategic Thinking Bloc spokesman MP Khalid Bu Onk is spearheading the move. Mr Bu Onk, a former traffic official and elected municipal councillor, said the reality on the ground had changed little.
“There is no registration number on these devices, they are not proper transportation vehicles, and even with the new regulatory rules introduced, the action taken was limited,” said Mr Bu Onk.
“We continue to see workers using e-scooters and electric bicycles to deliver items to drivers parked across roads and to residential areas. This creates serious dangers for both the riders and other road users.”
His concerns come after Bahrain formally introduced a comprehensive legal framework regulating electric scooters, electric bicycles, off-road vehicles and similar modes of transport.
Under the new rules issued by Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, electric scooters and bicycles are restricted to roads with speed limits of 50kmph or less and are banned from highways, ring roads and major external roads.
They are also subject to a maximum speed limit of 25kmph, while helmet use and protective equipment have become mandatory. However, councillors argue that legislation alone cannot prevent accidents if enforcement is inconsistent.
Muharraq Municipal Council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar said he had personally witnessed situations where tragedy was narrowly avoided. “Several times drivers were only moments away from crashing into these delivery riders,” he said. “They come out of nowhere and are simply not safe.
“Motorists do not expect them to suddenly appear between vehicles or cross roads in dangerous ways.”
The concern is not only for motorists, but also for pedestrians and the riders themselves, many of whom are young workers using the devices throughout the day to complete deliveries under time pressure.
Council technical committee chairman Mohammed Al Mahmood questioned whether the momentum of the recent crackdown had already faded.
“Traffic police appear to have disappeared a day after the massive enforcement campaign carried out two weeks ago,” he said. “We need sustained monitoring and action, not a one-day operation.”
For many councillors, the debate has become deeply personal following recent fatal incidents involving e-scooter users.
Council financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman Fadhel Al Oud pointed to the death of a young boy in Budaiya as a stark reminder of the dangers involved.
“Just recently, a young boy using an e-scooter was killed in a traffic accident in Budaiya,” he said. “We cannot wait for more families to suffer similar tragedies before taking stronger action.”
Members stressed that the issue was no longer merely about regulating new technology, but about protecting lives.
They are now calling on authorities to intensify inspections, maintain a visible enforcement presence and examine additional measures to ensure compliance with the newly-introduced rules.
The regulations grant authorities extensive powers, including the confiscation of vehicles for up to 60 days and the impoundment of devices involved in violations.
But councillors insist that preventing accidents will ultimately depend on consistent enforcement and public awareness.
The GDN reported last month that e-scooters, electric bicycles, off-road buggies and even children’s toy vehicles were officially regulated under sweeping new traffic rules issued in Bahrain.
Under the decision, electric bicycles, electric scooters, off-road motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, modified off-road vehicles and small electric toy vehicles are now classified within the 2014 Traffic Law and made subject to detailed operational and safety rules.
According to the new rules electric bicycles and electric scooters will only be allowed on designated roads and internal roads where speed limits do not exceed 50kmph.
They are completely banned from highways, ring roads and major external roads.
Electric scooters and bicycles will also face a maximum speed limit of 25kmph, with riders ordered to reduce speed further in populated areas and pedestrian zones.
Children under 16 will not be allowed to ride electric bicycles unsupervised, while electric scooters cannot be used by children under seven unless supervised by a parent or guardian.
Helmet use is now mandatory. Electric bicycle riders must wear protective helmets, while electric scooter riders will also need shoulder, hand and leg protection gear.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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