MP’s proposal for water taxis in Bahrain rejected

Manama : A proposal to establish water taxis in the country was rejected by the government lately, despite it being passed by a majority of MPs last year.

The proposal, which was submitted by MP Mohammed Al Ammadi in the beginning of 2015, instructed the government to rehabilitate the infrastructure of Bahrain to accommodate water taxis at multiple points on the island.

He said this would curb traffic congestion and boost tourism in Bahrain, especially as it consists of over 35 natural islands and many seaside tourist attractions.

However, the government said in its reply to the Council of Representatives that “the economic value of such projects won’t meet expectations, mainly with the existence of a good and modern roads network.”

Al Ammadi told DT News earlier that similar projects exist and are successful in regional and international countries, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Turkey and other European and Asian countries.

In its reply to this point, the government said, “These projects come in handy to countries that have inhabited islands and have no bridges linking them. But once these islands are linked by bridges, water taxis would vanish as people tend to travel using cars more than boats nowadays.”

However, the government said that such projects could be implemented at tourism sites. At the same time, it hinted that “it could be supported by establishments of the private sector, with the aim of developing maritime tourism in Bahrain, in coordination with Transportation and Telecommunication Ministry.”