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Bahrain expat driving ban ruled unconstitutional by court
| Published: | 8 Jul at 6 PM |
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Much to the relief of expats living and working in Bahrain, the recently-proposed driving ban unless required by occupation is now dead in the water.
The proposal, introduced recently as a means to deal with Bahrain’s growing traffic congestion, had caused panic amongst expats living a distance from their offices and workplaces as public transport in the country is sparse. Families with children attending international schools were also concerned after the Council of Representatives approved the measure as part of a draft traffic law.
MPs had demanded action as they consider there are far too many vehicles on the roads, believing that targeting expats was an easy way to deal with the problem. Companies employing foreigners were expected to provide corporate buses for their employees or insist they used the inadequate public transport system.
The controversial scheme, debated for some seven years, was passed by the governing Shura Council and was expected to become law until several MPs objected on the grounds of discrimination. Finally, Bahrain’s ruler referred the proposal to the Constitutional Court which, to general expat relief, decided it was unconstitutional on the grounds of human rights and the likelihood of social and economic issues.
Over half the kingdom’s total population is made up of expatriate workers and their families, the majority of whom use personal transport for their business and social activities. Expats are now hoping that the scheme will not be revived at a future date.
The proposal, introduced recently as a means to deal with Bahrain’s growing traffic congestion, had caused panic amongst expats living a distance from their offices and workplaces as public transport in the country is sparse. Families with children attending international schools were also concerned after the Council of Representatives approved the measure as part of a draft traffic law.
MPs had demanded action as they consider there are far too many vehicles on the roads, believing that targeting expats was an easy way to deal with the problem. Companies employing foreigners were expected to provide corporate buses for their employees or insist they used the inadequate public transport system.
The controversial scheme, debated for some seven years, was passed by the governing Shura Council and was expected to become law until several MPs objected on the grounds of discrimination. Finally, Bahrain’s ruler referred the proposal to the Constitutional Court which, to general expat relief, decided it was unconstitutional on the grounds of human rights and the likelihood of social and economic issues.
Over half the kingdom’s total population is made up of expatriate workers and their families, the majority of whom use personal transport for their business and social activities. Expats are now hoping that the scheme will not be revived at a future date.
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