Gulf Daily News

MANAMA, Dec 8: Drivers will no longer have to involve police for minor non-injury accidents, if a new scheme gets the go-ahead.

Police want drivers to deal directly with their insurance companies in the event of minor accidents.

This would free police to deal with law enforcement, a traffic chief said yesterday.

Eighty per cent of traffic police time is wasted dealing with minor accidents in Bahrain, said traffic general director Shaikh Khalifa bin Hassan Al Khalifa.

"We should not be doing car inspections, minor road accidents and dealing with parking meters," he said.

"All we want to be doing is law enforcement and trying to deal directly with road-users.

"In any other country people (involved in a minor road accident) would report direct to the insurance companies.

"They are the only ones that should deal with that."

Shaikh Khalifa said it was hoped to introduce the scheme next year.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a Works and Housing Ministry-organised event being held as part of plans to devise a national road safety strategy.