Every drop of water becomes precious as stranded truckers struggle at Causeway

Manama: Saeed Al Hamad scanned the horizon, looking for an end to the interminable line of trucks on the shoulder of the highway leading to the King Fahad Causeway, the 25-kilometre terrestrial link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

From his glass office overlooking the highway, Saeed has often seen long queues of vehicles inching towards the start of the Causeway 100 metres away, but it was the first time that he saw such a long stretch of trucks engaged in the slowest elephant race.

The sight was a real shock, and Saeed, a veteran journalist who wanted to believe that nothing ever surprised him anymore, kept shaking his head in disbelief that almost three decades after the launch of the Gulf Cooperation Council, trucks had to wait up to five days before they could make the crucial crossing from one country to the other.

But even though he was in a state of shock, Saeed was ensconced in his deep armchair in an air-conditioned office, enjoying the comforting breeze and eating pastry cakes with his sweetened tea while the TV set was broadcasting the latest news.

The truck drivers did not have such luxuries. In fact, they had almost nothing and drops of water were becoming uniquely precious.

Mahmood Malik, a stout driver with a comically overgrown white moustache was dangerously running out of food and drink. He had planned to spend three days waiting for his turn to go through the customs of both countries and brought provisions accordingly. Now, he was to his last bottle of water and his last green olives. Yet, Mahmoud was trapped. "If I leave my truck to go and buy some food items or more bottles of water, I may lose some very precious metres that could mean more hours of frustration for me," he said.

Zahid, a veteran truck driver, said that every time he arrived near the Causeway, he tried to strike a deal with his fellow drivers so that they could take turns watching over the trucks.

"You are never too careful, and the best thing is to organise a vigil where the drivers involved take turns cooking or watching over the trucks. By cooking, I mean some frugal meals that simply keep us going," he said.

Akhtar Basheer is thankful that investors are fully aware of the delays and procrastinations on the causeway. "They know that if we are late, it is because of the long administrative procedures and not because the drivers are too lazy or incompetent," he said. "I hate it, but it is not my fault and my boss knows this very well."

On the other side of the Causeway, and away from Saeed Al Hamaed's vision, more than 500 trucks were waiting to inch their way towards the artificial islands on which the Saudi and Bahraini customs and police offices were built. There too, the drivers thought of different ideas to spend the time and overcome boredom and frustration. There too, they shared food and assigned times to watch over the heavy metal beasts they were driving.

For the drivers and their employers, the real issue is the flagrant mismatch between the number of officers and the number of trucks. “The inspection procedures on both sides of the Causeway are often too slow. They need to be faster in order to handle promptly the high number of trucks keen on crossing the Causeway,'' said Ahmad Mohammad Al Muqbal, a Saudi land transport investor. “There is also a problem with the working schedules and hours. They need to be addressed decisively.''

A higher number of officers and offices working around the clock would be a highly suitable solution to the problem, Al Muqbal suggested.

In May, the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the Saudi authorities to keep the customs office open 24 hours.

“While we appreciate the measures taken by the Saudi customs to extend office hours from 2pm to 5pm and to work on Friday, we believe that a better solution is to have everybody work around the clock, especially with the increasing number of trucks carrying goods and empty containers,'' Abdul Hakeem Al Shimmari, from the BCCI, said. “We have a serious humanitarian problem and we need to have solutions as soon as possible. It seems that the Gulf Customs Union and the Common Gulf Market agreements did not have any effect on facilitating the passage of trucks and goods between the Gulf Cooperation Council states. This of course means huge financial losses and ultimately higher prices for consumers.''

For Al Shimmari, officials need to address the issues urgently and seriously. “There are some tendencies to play down the significance of the problem. Pretending that it is not there or that it is not critical compounds the situation and causes further miseries and higher expenses and prices,'' he said.

The businessman said that delays at the Causeway and other border points cost the Gulf economy more than BD100 million ($264 millions).

According to Othman Sharif, a Bahraini businessman, problems at border crossings between the Gulf states simply defeat the core and purpose of the agreements between the GCC countries.

“We have the Common Gulf Market which was launched in January 2008 and the Gulf Customs Union agreement which was launched in 2003, but they seem not to be really enforced and this has negative effects on the economy and competitiveness status of the Gulf countries. There is so much at stake and we must not lose the wonderful benefits because agreements are not really or seriously implemented,'' he said.

Salman Al Ajmi, business editor at Al Ayam daily, said that better coordination between the authorities and the business communities in the two countries regarding the timings and the number of trucks that could pass would reduce the waiting period and put an end to the misery of the drivers and their employers.

“The Causeway is the only terrestrial link that Bahrain has with the world, while the volume of trade exchanges between Manama and Riyadh is steadily increasing. Solutions are urgently needed because it is not fair to have hundreds of trucks on either side of the two neighbours stretching for kilometers and waiting for their turn. We should also avoid finger-pointing and instead should work together to make the transition smooth,'' he said.

“This crossing has become vital for people and for the economy, and as such it should be reinforced and made more attractive in every possible aspect.''
According to the King Fahad Causeway Authority (KFCA), the total number of vehicles that passed via the Toll Gates in 2008 was 8,646,724, up from 7,642,732 in 2007.

“The daily average was 23,690 vehicles compared with 20,939 in 2007. The number of trucks in 2008 was 511,712, up from 485,986 the previous year,'' the authority said. In 2000, the number of trucks that crossed the Causeway was 113,719.

The total number of travelers who crossed the King Fahad Causeway in both directions in 2008 was 17,743,495 at the rate of 48,612 people per day, an increase of 8.94 per cent over 2007.

“There are special times when the Causeway is really crowded, mainly during the week-end or when hundreds of buses are taking Bahrain-based people to perform Umra or Hajj. At such times, we really pray for greater understanding from both the Bahraini and Saudi officials in handling the heavy traffic,'' said Abdul Aziz Bu Qais, a Bahraini with family in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “My family for instance now has to plan a trip overland very carefully to avoid rush hours and crowded timings. It is unfortunate because at times, you just feel like getting behind the steering wheel and drive the 25 kilometres to see friends and relatives on the other side. Or even to just eat at a restaurant and enjoy shopping in Khobar or Dammam which are really a heartbeat away,'' he said.

When the Causeway was opened in 1986, cars at times needed up to eight hours to reach the other side of the 25-kilometre wonder structure. However, the problem was overcome after lanes were added and more officers were assigned to handle cars and passports.

“I recall how once I was travelling overland from Brussels to Amsterdam. I did not know that I was in Holland until I noticed that most of the cars had yellow licence plates instead of the white ones that I left in Belgium. We had driven into Holland without a policeman or a customs officer stopped us or asked to stamp our passports. I long for the day when I can travel from any Gulf country to another without going through a police checkpoint or a customs office,'' said Saeed Al Hameed.