Tragic accident sparks Public outcry to develop 'Death Street'

The death of a young Bahraini youth in a traffic accident involving four cars on Ria Street, near Al-Dair area, on Wednesday, has sparked a public outcry over a delay in developing the road, locally known as “Death Street”. The 18-year-old Bahraini was driving a black Mercedes from Al-Dair area heading to Qalali when the accident happened. Due to the slow traffic and narrow road, the young driver entered the opposite lane to overtake one of the vehicles, resulting in a collision with another vehicle, face to face. Three people were also injured in the accident who admitted to a hospital for treatment. The young Bahraini was badly injured and died immediately after attempts to save him by medical staff failed. The death of this young man has sparked widespread discontent over the delay in the development of this street. His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister, directed in 2002 and followed up in 2006, 2008 and 2011 to develop this vital street, but the Ministry of Works and Municipalities did not carry out development work. In 2012, the Ministry included this street as part of its road and street development programme. Strangely, it completed building 26 road humps in the street but did not expand it. Drivers take between 10 minutes and 25 minutes to cross this 6-kilometre stretch. Busy street Ria Street starts from Hidd, passing through Qalali, Samahij and Al-Dair areas and ends with Busheiten. It also serves Amwaj Islands and Diar Al Muharraq housing projects. The street serves 6 schools directly, 3 sports clubs and a shopping complex. The street also serves three government workplaces, in addition to two large factories, and 105 farms for livestock breeding, which means that the pressure on the street is very high, and it still has only one lane. “Unfortunately Ria Street is one of the most dangerous streets in Bahrain, the Street of Death. Death has kidnapped our son. A narrow one-lane street, very overcrowded, full of dangerous curves, and above all, the asphalt is old,” said Mohammed Qambar, a relative of the deceased. “In the past, we saw more than one traffic accident on this street. After the humps in 2012, the accidents became less, but the inconvenience is greater. Every 200 meters there is a hump, the overcrowding is greater and some of the meandering areas such as that between the Al-Dair and Busaiteen are very dangerous, first of its narrowness and secondly to the extent of its circumference,” he said. The Daily Tribune learned from sources that all the plans for the development of Ria Street have been completed by the Ministry of Works and that the project will be implemented in two stages, the first of Hidd to the cemetery of Qalali, and then from Smaheij to Busaiteen. The plan of the ministry is to expand the street to be two tracks instead of one track and be connected with the street of Diyar Al-Muharraq. What has disrupted the Ria Street project for the Ministry of Works, is the acquisition of land on the right and left of the street, Sources told The Daily Tribune. There were cables that had to be removed, in addition to the old water pipes. The ministry ended the work in 2012, but it has not yet begun with the actual expansion yet. Sources added that the cost of expanding the Ria Street is about 7.5 million dinars and that the ministry is now waiting for the budget to start the work.