Hassan Al-Sitri
The House of Representatives approved Decree Law No. 30 of 2025 amending some provisions of the Traffic Law, which includes tightening the penalties imposed on traffic crimes, especially with regard to manslaughter and wrongful injury resulting from traffic accidents.
For his part, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Legislative Authority Affairs, Rashid Bounjma, confirmed that the decree addresses violators and reckless people, and stated that the tightening came based on abnormal phenomena that we witnessed and saw, and is not a reaction, as there is diligent work carried out by the Ministry of Interior, and if the decree addressed a reaction, it would not have addressed many matters, noting that the traffic law was referred to representatives in 2008, and was issued in 2014, and that the violator violates people’s rights to life, safety, and transportation, and we We review all the laws, and we see on television a broadcast about this decree. 500 cameras will be installed in the streets of Bahrain, and the points system will be activated after they are installed.
Bounjma stated that next December the cameras will be tested, and in the first quarter of 2026, 200 to 300 cameras will be installed. As for the points system, the Minister has directed that it be studied and activated as soon as the entire traffic system is completed.
For his part, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Nawaf Al-Maawda said: “The government does not undertake any projects according to the reactions, but after studying and consulting with the concerned authorities, we have statistics that are presented to the Supreme Traffic Committee. We are facing an amendment to a law issued in 2014, and the time has come to discuss the amendments, and there is an impact that we have seen in the street.”
Minister Al-Mawadah stated that the government does not target the citizen’s pocket, but rather wants to protect the lives of citizens and residents on public roads. As for congestion, we all see road expansion work that reflects the government’s keenness on the smooth flow of traffic. Sometimes it can be viewed in another way as a vital economic movement in the country, but it has a clear impact on traffic, and whoever will abide by the law will not be punished, and whoever wants to avoid fines should avoid violations.
Representative Ahmed Al-Saloum said: “It is natural in any living legislative system for laws and regulations to be re-evaluated from time to time, in light of new facts and indicators after practical application, and in a way that ensures that the texts remain able to keep pace with changes and protect society. In this context, the decree law came to amend some provisions of the Traffic Law in response to a field reality that showed a worrying increase in the rates of serious accidents, and the resulting human and material losses.
These are unfortunate accidents that require all of us to stop and reflect on their causes and how to reduce them. We cannot fail here to appreciate the great efforts made by the Ministry of Interior, led by the Minister of the Interior, Lieutenant General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, in developing the traffic system, through awareness campaigns, smart monitoring, and strict and fair enforcement of the law. These are efforts that everyone can attest to, and contribute to enhancing public safety on the roads.
Al-Salloum continued that: The decree law did not come to increase penalties in an absolute manner, but rather came within a balanced framework that takes into account the seriousness of the act, and aims to achieve general deterrence without excessive or negligent behavior.
It distinguishes between minor violations and serious behaviors that threaten lives, such as crossing a red light, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or excessive speed, and sets a penalty for each of them commensurate with its seriousness. He stated that these amendments reflect a thoughtful legislative development, and give the concerned authorities more effective legal tools in enforcing the law, in a way that achieves justice and preserves the human right to life and physical integrity.
From this standpoint, I stress the importance of approving the decree-law, because of its noble goals in protecting lives and property, achieving traffic discipline, and promoting a culture of respect for the law among all road users.
For his part, Representative Dr. Hassan Bukhammas said that His Majesty the King’s speech highlighted the importance of completing legislation and placing security at the top of priorities, which prompted the committee to study a set of laws related to security.
For his part, MP Hisham Al-Asheri wondered whether amending the traffic law was merely an action or a reaction to the events. He pointed out that the tightening of the laws came as a result of tragic incidents that prompted everyone to demand harsher penalties, stressing that the problem is not the strictness of the laws, but rather their actual implementation.
He stressed the importance of strengthening education and road monitoring campaigns to reduce violations.
Meanwhile, MP Ali Al-Nuaimi expressed his appreciation for the decree, praising His Majesty the King’s keenness to protect lives and property. He stressed that implementing the law efficiently requires supporting human resources through employment and training.
As for MP Muhammad Al-Marafi, he explained that increasing the penalties comes to strengthen the system and respect the constitution and the law. While the First Vice President of the Council, Abdulnabi Salman, confirmed that the law came at the right time, but he called for thoughtful and comprehensive awareness of the amendments to implement them effectively.
For his part, the representative of the Ministry of Interior, Khaled Buqais, explained that the decree was based on monitoring some negative phenomena, as the Ministry intensified awareness campaigns using various means to ensure access to everyone.
As for MP Muhammad Al Aliwi, he saw the decree as a qualitative step for the traffic system, pointing out the importance of tightening laws to prevent the recurrence of fatal accidents that often result from serious violations such as driving under the influence of alcohol or reversing the direction of traffic.
For her part, MP Jalila Al-Sayyid supported the decree, stressing the importance of tightening laws to address the causes of accidents, while MP Khaled Bu Anq asked about the strict measures applied to foreigners who may cause such problems.
In turn, Representative Muhammad Al-Ahmad stressed that it is not shameful for some laws to be reactions to certain events, pointing out the necessity of taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of roads and not targeting citizens’ pockets unjustifiably. As pointed out by Representative Dr. Mahdi Al-Shuwaikh stressed the need to provide clarifications proving that the goal of the law is traffic safety and not fines.
In the same context, MP Maryam Al-Dhaen stressed the need to lift penalties to ensure compliance with the law, calling for the development of a special program to regulate the work of delivery drivers and oblige them to inspect their vehicles.
MP Abdul Wahed Qarata pointed out that the statistics clearly show the increase in traffic accidents and the suffering they cause to individuals and families. He stressed that strict penalties will be a strong deterrent, as they will make the violator think carefully before violating the law.
Representative Basma Mubarak called for parents to be held responsible for giving cars to teenagers in an irresponsible manner, considering this a clear cause of accidents.
On the other hand, Representative Abdul Hakim Al-Shanno pointed out the importance of focusing on educating the traffic police themselves, calling for dealing with the law in a more humane and comprehensive manner.
Representative Jamil Malla added that the decrees come after in-depth studies, and that increasing the penalties is logical. Due to the catastrophic effects of accidents on families and society.
Second Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Qarata, called for ensuring that perpetrators of fatal accidents do not benefit from alternative punishments, calling for strict application of the law and intensifying awareness campaigns in schools, universities, and various media outlets to ensure their effectiveness.
Representative Mamdouh Al-Saleh expressed an urgent need to address violations in known places, with a focus on the category of delivery drivers who may work without appropriate licenses, calling for greater activation of the supervisory role to reduce violations.
In addition, the Council approved Decree-Law No. 31 of 2025 amending some provisions of the Penal Code promulgated by Decree-Law No. 15 of 1976, which includes increasing penalties for crimes of murder and wrongful injury, in addition to Decree-Law No. 32 of 2025 amending some provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code promulgated by Decree-Law No. 46 of 2002.
