Commuters irked at new VIP service at Causeway

The King Fahd Causeway Authority has set up two halls, on the Saudi and Bahraini sides of the bridge, to process passport procedures for diplomats and VIPs — a move that has angered some commuters.
The authority has also provided new restrooms on either side of the causeway for commuters and employees, it said in a statement on Monday.
The developments are part of the authority’s plan to develop services for everyone using the causeway, the statement further said.
Some commuters were not happy with the latest developments on the causeway.
Yusuf Al-Dossari, a regular commuter, said: “Is this what we’ve been waiting and asking for? We are the ones who have asked for such facilities, complained about many issues, and are facing all the difficulties.”
He questioned why the development at the causeway has been started “only for VIPs.” Fahad Al-Azmi, another commuter, said: “The causeway should focus on speeding up procedures. Other developments should not be its main concern.”
“People do not want to stay on the bridge for rest and entertainment. They just want to pass over to the other side,” he said.
Ahmed Al-Hajri, a commuter, said: “The authority is doing its best. It’s all about the passport and customs departments.”
Recently, Emad Al-Muhaisen, the causeway’s assistant director general of projects, revealed that the authority is studying the possibility of developing a train line connecting the Kingdom and Bahrain, linked to the rail networks of other Gulf countries.
“The study has already started and is expected to be completed at the end of 2014. There is a committee chaired by the two ministries of interior. It is also studying the possibility of introducing ferryboats to transport travelers between the two countries to ease traffic congestion on the causeway.”
He said the authority was also looking at creating a special smartphone application that would provide commuters with information on traffic congestion on the bridge. He said the causeway can accommodate up to 100,000 commuters a day. There has been a 10 percent annual increase in commuters using the bridge, he said.