Delivery services using cars could be reserved exclusively for Bahrainis, while motorcycle deliveries would remain open to foreign workers and citizens, under a proposal unanimously approved by Parliament.
Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam yesterday proposed the job split as MPs called for a temporary freeze on new motorcycle delivery licences until proper regulations are introduced.
The amended proposal was referred to the Cabinet for review, combining efforts to create employment opportunities for Bahrainis with demands for tighter controls on a rapidly expanding delivery industry.
“Why not leave motorcycles to foreigners or interested Bahrainis and make car deliveries exclusively for Bahrainis?” Mr Al Musallam asked MPs.
He argued that reserving car deliveries for citizens could open up more employment opportunities for young Bahrainis, while allowing motorcycle deliveries to continue under stricter safety requirements.
“Medical examinations are necessary,” Mr Al Musallam told MPs, calling for compulsory health checks before riders are allowed to work.
Mr Al Musallam
He also called for tougher enforcement and improved road safety education, while supporting a temporary halt to new motorcycle delivery licences until the government establishes clear rules.
MP Mohammed Janahi, who submitted the original proposal, backed the initiative, saying delivery work could provide an attractive source of income for Bahrainis. He said drivers could earn between BD500 and BD800 monthly, including commissions.
Mr Janahi suggested that Tamkeen could help Bahrainis enter the sector, creating employment opportunities while ensuring delivery companies had access to a local workforce.
But jobs were only one part of the debate, with MPs warning that road safety concerns could no longer be ignored.
Seven delivery motorcyclists died in road accidents in 2024, compared with four the previous year, figures cited during the parliamentary debate showed.
Mr Janahi also called for mental and physical health checks as part of the delivery permit renewal process, warning that long hours on motorcycles could worsen underlying conditions, including heart problems. Concerns were also raised over poor training, reckless overtaking, disregard for traffic signals and the rising number of delivery motorcycles on Bahrain’s roads.
Mr Janahi
MP Eman Shuwaiter, meanwhile, criticised government bodies for passing responsibility for regulating delivery services from one authority to another.
“All we asked for was to regulate delivery licences and put proper rules in place,” she said. “Yet every authority says it is not their responsibility.”
She said delivery motorcycles had become increasingly visible on the roads since the Covid-19 pandemic, with some riders cutting across traffic and behaving as though they had the right of way.
Ms Shuwaiter recalled witnessing a delivery rider cause an accident that injured another motorist, prompting her to call the traffic police herself. She demanded a clear timetable for introducing regulations and asked which authority would ultimately be responsible for enforcing them.
Ms Shuwaiter
The Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry said delivery services did not currently fall within its land transport rules. However, it confirmed that it was working with the Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Traffic to prepare a draft ministerial decision that would bring the activity under a regulatory framework.
The traffic directorate said delivery motorcycles fell within the definition of public transport under Bahrain’s 2014 Traffic Law, placing responsibility for regulating their commercial use with the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry.
MPs said the proposed freeze would provide time to establish enforceable licensing, professional and safety standards, while protecting road users and allowing the industry to operate under clearer rules.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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