Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Bahrain's customs directorate is considering employing an electronic vehicle monitoring system that will track heavy goods vehicles as they enter and travel through the kingdom.
The initiative is part of a major customs modernisation programme.
"We are examining a number of options to help improve border security, while still ensuring a competitive trading environment that provides maximum levels of facilitation to industry," said president of Customs Affairs, Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Kahlifa.
"One option currently under consideration is an electronic vehicle monitoring system that will track truck movements throughout the kingdom and alert customs to any unauthorised movements."
Security on the King Fahad Causeway and at the new Khalifa bin Salman Port is also being beefed up with the introduction of new X-ray scanning units.
The units will have the capacity to scan two trucks every four minutes, allowing 30 trucks to pass through it every hour.
In recent months, Bahrain's contractors have complained of delays caused by security on the causeway and the new scanners should help ease congestion.
Scanner technology allows customs to inspect entire containers or truckloads of goods in just a few minutes, rather than the time it would take manually.
"This is an extremely powerful unit and has the capacity to detect any anomalies. This facility also provides CCTV images of the truck from different angles and includes radiation detection equipment," said Shaikh Daij.
He said that the scanners will not start operating until they had passed the necessary safety tests required by local government agencies, but said that scanners are completely safe.
"Radiation is only emitted when the scanner is in operation, during which time the drivers and other personnel are in an adjacent waiting room," he explained.
Swiss Company, SociŽtŽ GŽnŽrale de Surveillance, has been contracted to manage the operations of the scanners for three years.
Shaikh Daij also acknowledged the success of sniffer dog units that have been operating on the causeway for the past eight months.
The dogs have been involved in a number of detections in both commercial and private vehicles, most of which have been narcotics, he said.
"While I can't go into the specifics of individual cases, a number of matters have been referred to the Ministry of Interior for action," he explained.
He added that most people have been generally very supportive of the programme and "have understood that it is in the interests of national security and safety."
He added that the opening of the new port later this year will see a number of improvements to procedures and the full implementation of the customs automated declaration system.
"All of this combined with ongoing staff training and development and the adoption of procedures that are consistent with international best practise will help ensure Customs Affairs continues to provide the level of border security demanded by the government and the people of Bahrain," he said.
