Saudi cement trucks banned to Bahrain to ease congestion
A decision by Saudi Arabia to ban the transport of cement and sand to Bahrain via the King Fahad Causeway will ease traffic congestion, it was declared.
The proposed move by the Saudi authorities, expected to be implemented from October 1, will mean the absence of over 200 trucks a day, said Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) customs and port committee head Abdulhakim Al Shammari.
He said the decision would not affect Bahrain’s construction industry because the entire amount of 25,000t weekly quota would still come in, albeit by the sea route.
’Only 10,000 tonnes were coming in through the causeway in any case for the last many months but this, and an equal amount of sand, will now come by sea,’ said Al Shammari.
He said this move would clearly ease a lot of pressure on the causeway, which has seen many traffic bottlenecks for more than a year.
’We also welcome the rapid pace at which renovation work is going on at several points across the causeway,’ said Al Shammari.
He said crews are at work virtually non-stop to ensure the renovation is completed in very quick time.
Shammari had earlier said an estimated BD30 million could be at stake due to delays on the causeway, claiming reduced efficiency by staff during Ramadan meant shopping trips that normally took an hour in the car were taking up to five hours in traffic jams. Published under Cement News
