Public Transport Usage Rises in Bahrain by 25% Despite Ongoing Challenges

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain’s public transport system welcomed 945,199 passengers in September 2024, a remarkable increase compared to the same month last year, reflecting shifting travel habits. However, despite this rise, the average bus ridership has faced challenges, with figures dropping to 23,477 in March 2024 from 32,882 in March 2023. Since its launch in February 2015, the total number of public transport users has exceeded 98,036,021, boasting an average daily ridership of 31,507.

In a recent update shared on Instagram, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications reported that 2,962 operational cards were issued and renewed, alongside 34 renewed licences and five new ones. Furthermore, 24 inspection campaigns were carried out throughout September 2024. Statistics show that over one million trips were operated in March 2024, contributing to a total of approximately 92.22 million trips since the service began.

Bahrain Public Transport Company runs a fleet of 140 buses, covering 26 routes and more than 600 stations every day. Designed to accommodate all passengers, particularly those with special needs, the fleet includes low-floor buses and driver-controlled platforms to assist individuals with limited mobility, parents with prams, and those with disabilities. Priority seating is available for women, families, the elderly, and wheelchair users, along with free Wi-Fi, information display screens, surveillance cameras, and wheelchair facilities. Public transport services are operated by a private company under an investment franchise, supported by the government to serve a diverse range of workers and residents.

The Ministry collaborates with Bahrain Public Transport Company to conduct thorough periodic studies on bus routes, assessing service quality and reviewing requests from public transport users, municipal councils, and other stakeholders. Plans are in place to begin construction on Bahrain’s first Metro project in the coming years.

Official documents have revealed that the public transport operating contract will expire next year. The agreement with Bahrain Public Transport Company was initially signed in September 2015 for a duration of ten years. These documents indicate that the Ministry of Transportation has expanded public transport services, increasing both the number of routes and the buses dedicated to the system. Currently, there are 140 public transport buses, with 114 in active operation, and more than 26 routes servicing 583 stations. The buses make 726 trips daily, covering 80 per cent of populated areas, with an average daily network usage of 32,000 people.

According to the contract, the Ministry compensates the company with BD 9 million annually, minus the revenues collected from operations, which averaged BD 2 million per year from 2019 to 2022. Despite these efforts, the public transport company faces obstacles in meeting its goals. The initial target aimed for 51,000 passengers daily in the first year, increasing by 5 per cent in subsequent years; however, the actual daily average has settled at 28,000.

Traffic congestion continues to pose a considerable challenge, causing a decline in bus speeds on roads from 23 km/h in 2013 to 18 km/h in 2019. Statistics from the Ministry of Works and the public transport company indicate that 61 per cent of the seats lost on public buses between 2019 and 2024 were due to traffic congestion.