A children's play area is located just metres away from the
partly-built temporary market
Bahrain market work halted amid safety fears
Manama, June 2, 2014
Work on a temporary market at a public park in Muharraq has ground to a halt amid parents' fears that their children's lives are being put in danger.
A BD3 million ($7.9 million) revamp of Muharraq Central Market was announced in January by Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi following four years of delays, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.
Temporary stalls for traders were to be set up in Hassan Bin Thabet Public Park while the new-look central market, covering 9,800sqm, was under construction.
But residents with children at nearby schools have expressed their concerns that work on the temporary market - designed to be occupied for two years or more - posed a danger to their children.
At a meeting of Muharraq Municipal Council this week, Dr Al Ka'abi told councillors that work had been suspended until a solution was found.
"We have contacted the Education Ministry to open temporary gates at nearby schools taking into consideration residents' complaints that work was going on too close to schools," he said.
"Whether it is work on the temporary or new market, they are both close to schools - so we have decided to stop work on the temporary one, which is the closest, until an alternative location for it is found.
"We can't stop development on the new market because the existing one is in an appalling state and has to be replaced - but we have to study options that take into consideration safety and ensure people are away from harm."
The new market will feature a shopping complex, hypermarket and separate sections for meat, fish, fruits and vegetables as well as other kiosks.
It will also include a special area for people who manufacture traditional crafts, government offices, banks, restaurants, cafes, a basement car park with 200 spaces and special loading areas.
The project is being handled by the Muharraq Central Market Company, a subsidiary of Tashgeel for Commercial Buildings Management, and is scheduled for completion within two years.
Company officials were unavailable for comment when contacted by the GDN. - TradeArabia News Service
