It says local governments should regularly produce a comprehensive list of infrastructure and development projects detailing upcoming repairs and improvements.
The presidents of Bahrain’s three city councils and the Capital Council have asked all ministries and government agencies to provide information including start and end times, exact locations, and details of road closures and detours.
Abdulaziz Al Naar, chairman of the Muharraq City Council, said that local governments have to deal directly with the people and are often unaware of the situation themselves.
“Just a few months ago, I woke up to the sound of cranes and excavators near my house,” he said. “Even the Speaker of Parliament was not informed about the start time of the project, the duration of the work or the roads” road closures and detours.
“I made many phone calls until I got to the bottom of the matter. It turned out that this was the beginning of construction work that was officially announced 18 months ago to transform the old Muharraq Souq into a commercial thoroughfare. did.
“People forget what they ate a week ago, so how can they remember the details of a project that a former city councilor was told about in early 2022?
“Everyone has been trying to contact me and messaging me on social media because they thought I should be aware of what’s going on around me. Update me. I should have left it there.”
Abdullah Abdullatif, chairman of the Southern City Council, acknowledged facing similar challenges.
“We see workers with shovels, but we don’t know what contractors are doing, repairing roads, working on sewers, installing water, electricity and communication networks,” he said.
“We need an up-to-date schedule for the project so we can keep people in the community informed.”
Dr Saeed Shubar Al Wedayeh, chairman of the Northern City Council, said current communication was too haphazard.
“Maybe a progressively updated list of electronic works could solve the problem,” he says.
“Sometimes we get a list of projects, sometimes we don’t.
“Also, legislators should refrain from taking over our responsibilities and duties that are not related to legislation, so that we can clear up any confusion whenever there are projects being planned.”
Saleh Talada, Chairman of the Capital Management Board, hopes that the relevant government authorities can come together to improve communication at the local level.
“There are no secrets,” he said. “Hopefully we can be informed about what is going to happen before it happens and keep local families up to date with the latest information.
“Having these lists also helps with accountability, follow-up, and progress processes.”
More than 50 mega-projects worth millions of dinars are set to be rolled out in the coming months, giving the country’s development and infrastructure a much-needed boost.
Projects in the areas of housing, education, health, digitalization and artificial intelligence will also significantly improve the quality of services.
The Ministry of Works has announced that improvements to the Al Fateh Expressway between Talafa bin Al Abd Street and Sheikh Daiji Street will require the closure of one lane in stages, for southbound traffic on weekdays. He said two lanes would be provided. The closure will be in effect from today until Thursday.
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