A forceful appeal for comprehensive urban reform has been made by the Capital Trustees Board as 1,823 complaints were filed through the Tawasul platform over the past 18 months in the Capital Governorate.
The grievances span critical quality-of-life issues: lack of parking spaces, deteriorating public cleanliness, abandoned homes, property encroachment, water pooling (‘water cluster’) and poor maintenance of public facilities.
From September 2023 until yesterday, Tawasul received 2,181 cases – 1,823 complaints, 319 inquiries and 39 proposals for the governorate.
Constituency two (Naim, Burhama, Ras Ruman, Ghufool and Old Manama Suq) had the highest number of cases (293), with the lowest (65) was recorded in constituency five (Zinj, Bilad Al Qadeem, Salmaniya, Segaiya, Salhiya, Mahooz and Abu Asheera).
A total of 879 complaints were related to joint issues by constituencies.
Mr Tarradah warned, during a regular board meeting yesterday that the accumulation of unresolved complaints was eroding public trust in municipal governance and called for urgent inter-agency collaboration.
“These complaints reflect a living reality. From blocked parking to overflowing trash bins, the people of the Capital Governorate are asking for solutions, and rightly so,” he said.
The Capital Trustees Authority received 1,368 complaints, while the Capital Trustees Board itself received 126.
Other complaints were directed to the Works Ministry (198), the Electricity and Water Authority (54), the Capital Governorate (50) and miscellaneous (385).
The top categories of complaints include: Parking unavailability, lack of cleanliness and waste mismanagement, and dilapidated and abandoned homes, trespassing and land use violations, stagnant water accumulations in residential areas, and neglect in public facilities upkeep (parks, walkways, lighting).
“This isn’t just a governance issue; it’s a human one,” stressed Mr Tarradah.
“How can a family live next to an abandoned house infested with pests? How can seniors or disabled individuals manoeuvre streets that flood after a minor rainfall? We need a new level of accountability.”
He announced plans to present an emergency action package to the Capital Trustees Authority, and relevant ministries and government bodies. It will include:
l Deployment of mobile response units for trash collection and abandoned home inspections.
l Introduction of a smart parking permit and payment system integrated with Bahrain’s e-government platform.
l Formation of inter-constituency cleanliness taskforces led by community leaders and municipal inspectors.
l Request for immediate budget allocation from the Works Ministry to address road drainage and water pooling issues.
l Development of a public facilities audit, followed by targeted renovation projects.
“As Bahrain’s urban heart, Manama must set the standard, not fall behind,” said Mr Tarradah.
“The rise in complaints through Tawasul is not just a log of citizen dissatisfaction; it is a blueprint of civic need. If the authorities respond with urgency and resolve, the capital can rebuild not only its infrastructure, but its relationship with the people.”
Parking-related concerns were the most reported. From 2020 and until yesterday, 562 new parking permit stickers were issued.
“We must redesign our parking permit system to be digital, accessible, and timely,” Mr Tarradah warned.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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