Bahrain's tough new traffic law in doubt
Manama, April 16, 2014
Bahrain's tough new traffic law is in doubt after MPs insisted on banning some expats from getting licences, introducing stricter penalties for drunk drivers and allowing women to keep face veils on if they are stopped by police.
Parliament yesterday insisted on their inclusion in the law, despite the Shura Council scrapping or amending the articles when it passed the bill, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.
The law will now be referred back to the Shura Council after MPs vote on a final article next Tuesday.
If the Shura Council insists on its version of the legislation being passed, the bill will automatically be shelved.
The 64-article draft law, which has been pending for seven years, includes much tougher penalties that would quadruple some punishments for motoring offences in Bahrain.
Some of the proposed punishments include jail terms of up to six months and fines of up to BD500 ($1,319.5), or both, for deliberately jumping a red light.
It has been pending for seven years and would replace existing legislation dating back 35 years.
However, whether or not it gets passed depends on whether parliament and the Shura Council can agree on the disputed articles.
MPs want to ban expatriates from getting a driving licence unless their job requires it.
They also want to give Muslim women the right to keep on their face veils during routine traffic stops or if they had an accident.
Finally, MPs want drunk drivers to face more severe penalties than if they were sober when they commit an offence. - TradeArabia News Service
