Drivers in Bahrain urged to obey laws while parking near mosques

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Reported by Zahra Ayaz

As the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, authorities in the Kingdom urge people and drivers to obey the law and exercise greater caution when approaching mosques for prayers.

To spread the word and inform the public about correct parking, the General Directorate of Traffic posted a video on social media that showed traffic officers charging vehicles that were parked improperly.

The video highlighted how breaking the rules and random parking by worshippers in front of mosques cause traffic congestion, blockage and road closures. This negatively affects other road users, especially in residential areas or close to main roads.

During prayer times in Ramadan, traffic patrols around prayer grounds and mosques have been increased and directed to intensify enforcement measures against drivers who commit various violations.

According to officials, some worshipers double park and block the entire lanes, park in the middle of exits without considering other road users, or park on sidewalks.

The General Traffic Administration confirms the commitment to providing all possible means of comfort for road users during Ramadan through organising traffic flow, alleviating traffic congestion, managing mosques’ parking lots, facilitating the entry and exit of worshippers’ vehicles, and assisting the public in reaching and leaving the mosques.

On social media, a lot of people voiced their opinions. Some seemed to argue that the parking issue recurs every year, that there should be additional parking spaces inside the mosque, and that there ought to be stiff consequences for illegal parking.

According to Hamood, there are a lot of mosques in Riffa where worshippers stand outside the streets to offer prayers, which is quite dangerous. As a result, there is occasionally no parking and people just blindly park anywhere without worrying about the violation.

Mohammed Fakhro, another resident said: “A few days ago, I was riding a bike and rushing to deliver the orders, but when I arrived at my location, there was a ton of traffic because people were praying on the roadways and the roads were blocked.

Which prolonged my wait and forced me to use a non-parking area to leave my bike in order to deliver.” Many others commended the Traffic Department’s initiative and their outstanding efforts to reduce parking violations and increase awareness.