Bahrain drivers not committed to yellow boxes system

Manama : Few drivers in Bahrain commit to the yellow box system, a state official said, revealing that there are 30 yellow boxes painted at different intersections in Bahrain, but many of them aren’t respected.

This was stated by Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry’s Roads Planning and Design Director Kadhim Abdulatif during the Ministry’s participation in the activities of the 32nd GCC Traffic Week, which is currently held in Bahrain under the slogan “Your Decision Defines Your Destiny.”

Abdulatif stated that “adopting the yellow boxes system comes as a result of the rapid increase in the number of vehicles and pressure on the roads network in Bahrain.”

“Many accidents are reported at intersections for various reasons such as not committing to traffic rules and over-speeding. The Ministry had studied multiple solutions for this issue, and yellow boxes were one of the most effective,” the director said.

“The concept of yellow boxes is adopted by many advanced countries in Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It has assisted in maintaining smoother traffic flow at intersections. It’s basically painting yellow lines in the inner space of intersections that are operated by traffic lights, and drivers are instructed not to enter the box in case their lane is blocked, even if the traffic signal was green for them.”

“In other words, if there is traffic congestion in the middle of the yellow box, drivers should not drive through until the box is clear. Violating drivers of this system would be fined.”

“Traffic awareness and respect of traffic laws is the responsibility of all. Drivers should have a sense of self-accountability to contribute to lessening traffic jams at intersections,” added the director.

Caption : Yellow boxes system was adopted to reduce traffic snarls at junctions