Don’t shoot the messenger

Road safety is currently a hotly debated topic among our lawmakers. But is the target of their proposals – the delivery drivers on motorcycles – quite correct? Are they being simply lazy and picking on a group that has the least access to rights support and legal help? In my opinion, 99% of delivery drivers on motorbikes are Asian expats. It is a job that young Bahrainis don’t aspire for and are not usually recruited for. And if they do join at this level, they are given cars to make deliveries and not two-wheelers.

It is true that Bahrain’s roads are becoming increasingly crowded because of two-wheeler delivery networks and also micro-networks of electric scooters delivering short distances for cold stores etc. Most of the time, these drivers have not taken basic road traffic lessons and blatantly break the rules. They drive up the wrong side of a road and cross amber lights dangerously because their vehicle does not have the speed to get out of the way if their channel turns red. They overtake from the inside and weave their way to the front of a waiting traffic jam so that they can leap into the next stage of their journey as soon as the lights flicker. This behavior should be curbed and rules put in place to make the roads safer and also safeguard the delivery drivers.

But pause for a moment. Who is responsible for this carnage on our roads? You will surprised to hear – you and I are. When we order a meal delivery or some forgotten groceries from round the corner, it is always needed immediately. We have lost the habit of waiting and feel we are entitled to magically get whatever we want as soon as we think we need it. If only we told the shops to take their time (within reasonable limit) and used technology like tracking devices to make sure delivery men can drive carefully and still delivery on time, that roads would be a better place for us all.

(Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood is the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Tribune and the President of the Arab-African Unity Organisation for Relief, Human Rights and Counterterrorism)