Religious tour operators who transport pilgrims to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia could be allowed to take more passengers on the religious treks, if MPs have their way.A 50-passenger bus is currently only allowed to operate at a third-full capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions imposed by Bahrain.
This has led operators to increase prices to cover their costs with fewer tickets sold ... and the ever-increasing price of travel is making it difficult for some of the faithful to even afford a trip across the causeway.An urgent proposal to increase the capacity, submitted by five MPs and led by Mamdooh Al Saleh, has been approved unanimously and referred to the Cabinet.“The spring holidays for school and university students is set to start in the next few days and it is a high business season for religious tour operators taking pilgrims to Umrah (small pilgrimage) in Mecca and to visit The Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” said Mr Al Saleh.“But the cost of going has increased because of the lowered bus capacity and many people are struggling to find a seat or even to be able to afford a ticket. Traditionally, people prefer buses rather than planes because the cost of travelling is lower, especially in the case of travelling families.“Buses should be allowed to fill their empty seats provided the necessary PCR tests and vaccination rules have been implemented.”
Meanwhile, MPs also unanimously approved an urgent proposal to resume direct flights to Iraq and Syria for visits to religious sites in both countries presented by the same MPs and referred it to the Cabinet.“There is no health bans on Syria and Iraq yet still there are no direct flights operated by Gulf Air from Bahrain,” said Mr Al Saleh. “Gulf Air is losing a lot of money as people are travelling to both countries using other regional operators.“Months ago we heard direct flights were set to resume and, until now, nothing.
This needs to change, especially as the spring holidays are one of the most popular seasons of the year to make the trips.”In another issue, Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed, who is politically responsible for Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, told MPs earlier in the day – in response to a question by Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Al Asoomi – that Bahraini women were still not taking up air crew post opportunities with the national carrier, which comes under Mumtalakat’s wing.“We have no issues with Bahraini pilots with us currently reaching 84pc Bahrainisation but air hostesses is another issue, as Bahraini females are shunning away from the job.”The GDN has reported in the past that culturally, local women prefer ground-based posts and airlines have tried to reassure families by employing local female air crew for short-haul flights, rather than for overnight long-haul destinations. mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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