30 million travellers used King Fahd Causeway so far this year
Digital services cut crossing time at toll gates to three seconds
Cairo: Around 30 million passengers have so far this year used the King Fahd Causeway, a vital link between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, according to its operator.
CEO of the General Organisation of King Fahad Causeway, Yousef Al Abdan, said 13 million vehicles passed through the bridge.
"The average crossing time during peak times has dropped to 21 minutes. These numbers come as a result of a project to expand the procedure areas on the bridge," he told Saudi news portal Akhbaar24.
As part of digital services introduced to improve the traveller's experience, Al Abdan added that the organisation operating the facility has launched the E-JESR app, which has boosted the use of the pre-payment- of- fee system to 55% and reduced the time for crossing the toll gates from 15 seconds to 3, he added.
In 2020, an e-payment system went operational on the bridge for car passengers, trucks and motorcycles replacing cash payment.
Gates installed on the causeway allow users to automatically conduct transit procedures without dealing with the staff.
The King Fahd Causeway was inaugurated in 1986 and has since been vital for movement between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, two members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.
The 25km-long bridge usually sees heavy traffic during summer holiday and Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.
The facility is also of economic importance for both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, particularly for their tourism and logistics sectors.