Cars and motorbikes decorated with flat matt paint or matt vinyl wrapping will no longer be allowed on Bahrain's roads due to safety concerns.

Part of a GCC-wide ban on non-glossy paint jobs, agreed at an Interior Ministers' summit held in Kuwait in November, the move will see owners of vehicles decorated in such a fashion unable to renew their vehicle registrations at the General Directorate of Traffic, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Several car dealers and companies across Bahrain provide services to personalise cars with a matt finish, especially luxury and high-end cars.

However, traffic authorities in Bahrain yesterday urged drivers to remove matt paint or stickers from their vehicles.

“Owners should maintain the original appearance of the car and refrain from matt painting their vehicles,” said a source from the General Directorate of Traffic.

“There has been a circular issued which is now in force that applies to cars and motorcycles to reduce traffic accidents.”

It was not made clear whether violators could have their vehicles impounded if they refuse to obey, but officials did confirm that any vehicle with a matt finish would not have its registration renewed.

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) earlier this week notified all of its members about the rules.

“All car and motorcycle dealers must refrain from importing matt-coloured vehicles,” it said in a notice.

“This also applies to automobile decoration stores applying matt stickers on the entire body of the vehicle.”

Quartz Car Centre Bahrain owner Arif Dawani told the GDN that he stood to lose thousands through his shop in Isa Town if the 'matt ban' was enforced.

“I have spent around BD85,000 ($224,091) to get the franchise for matt paints and other products in Bahrain and with the new decision there will be fewer clients from Bahrain and GCC countries,” he said.

“We were told by traffic officials that cars painted with matt colours will not be able to complete the yearly vehicle registration process.”

Another leading car customisation outlet, that did not want to be named, said it was aware of the new regulation '“but claimed it had not stopped people from customising their vehicles.

“We have heard about the ban on matt-painted vehicles, but officially we have not been informed about it,” said a member of staff at the company, who wanted to remain anonymous.

“There are several colours to choose from and some customers are now using coloured foil stickers for their cars instead.”

The 'matt ban' decision was made before Bahrain's tough new traffic law, which dramatically increased fines and jail terms for various offences, came into force last month.

Under the new law, anyone driving a vehicle without a valid registration certificate can expect a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to BD500. - TradeArabia News Service