Congestion on Causeway forces companies to take sea route

Several Saudi and Bahraini companies are increasingly turning to the sea route and leasing cargo vessels for transportation of goods between the two countries following the heavy traffic on the 25-km long King Fahd Causeway connecting Alkhobar and Bahrain.
An official at Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the sea route was not one of the best options available since marine shipping was expensive on account of the high price of fuel as also insurance.
“However, so long as the traffic congestion on King Fahd Causeway continues, there is little that these companies can do but to resort to the sea route,” he said, adding that what was required was a radical solution to solve the problem.
“This is affecting the economies of both the countries, and any attempt to come up with a temporary solution will not help,” he said. “It requires immediate attention.”
Dismissing reports that the heavy movement of trucks on the causeway may have an impact on safety, he said: “One of the options being considered by special committees set up by both sides is the opening of special customs counter with adequate staff for inspection round the clock.”
Walid Al-Gheithar of the Eastern Province chamber echoed similar sentiments, stating that ad hoc or temporary solutions would prove ineffective.
“The problem used to crop up time and again, but now the causeway is always congested,” he said.
The waiting period for clearance and offloading of goods was inordinately long, and this has affected businesses on both sides, he said.