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Bahraini school bus operators, taxi drivers and self-employed workers whose livelihoods were disrupted by the repercussions of the Iranian attacks should be included in compensation schemes, Parliament’s newly-elected legislative and legal affairs committee vice-chairman Jalal Al Mahfoodh has urged.
He said many people who depended on their daily work to support their families had suffered significant financial losses as their income streams dried up, leaving them struggling to meet loan repayments, business expenses and household commitments.
“Compensation should not be limited to taxi owners and home-based businesses. School bus operators and people working in other self-employed professions have also suffered, and their circumstances deserve serious consideration,” Mr Al Mahfoodh said.
He highlighted the difficulties faced by school bus operators during the shift to remote learning, alongside the downturn in tourism and economic activity that affected taxi drivers and other independent workers.
With vehicles sitting idle for extended periods, many operators were left without their usual income, even as their financial obligations continued.
“Many of these people rely entirely on their own efforts to earn a living. When their work stops, their income stops too, but their financial and family responsibilities do not disappear,” he said.
Mr Al Mahfoodh noted that many self-employed workers hold official licences to practise their professions, while some pay their own social insurance contributions.
However, he argued that existing protection arrangements did not adequately address exceptional circumstances that prevent them from working.
He called for their cases to be assessed and for practical solutions to be developed to protect their livelihoods and ease the financial strain.
Mr Al Mahfoodh also praised the extensive government efforts to assess damage and address the repercussions of the Iranian attacks, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, alongside ministers, officials and the wider Team Bahrain.
“The efforts made by Team Bahrain to assess the damage and address its consequences have been substantial. It is important that this support reaches every affected group, including those whose livelihoods have been interrupted,” he said.
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