A lane dedicated to students and people with special needs is due to open on the King Fahad Causeway in a matter of weeks, our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN) has learnt.

It will replace the old lane number one in both directions, making travel between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia much easier for those eligible to use it.

However, people must apply for special identity cards that they must produce to use the new lane, enabling them to bypass traffic congestion.

King Fahad Causeway Authority general manager Bader Abdulla Al Otaishan revealed the new lane should be operating early next month.

'They (students) have to first present documents showing their class timings and a letter from their school to issue the entry card,' he said.

Along with their identity card, eligible students will get a prepaid discount card, which they can top up and will allow them to use the causeway at a cheaper rate than the standard BD2.

They will simply present this card on arrival at the causeway to pay the toll, before using their identity card to access the dedicated lane.

Special needs travellers will be issued a similar identity card after presenting official documents from the Social Development Ministry, either in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, confirming they qualify to use the lane.

Al Otaishan revealed the facility would be extended to students and special needs travellers who didn't drive, meaning any car in which they were a passenger could use the lane.

The decision has been taken based on directives issued last year by Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province Governor Prince Mohammed bin Fahad Al Saud, in response to complaints about delays and congestion on the causeway.

In addition to the new lane for students and people with special needs, the causeway has already been expanded - with the number of departure lanes increased from 10 to 17 and the number of arrival lanes increased from 13 to 18 on both sides of the border.

The causeway expansion project, estimated to cost more than BD6 million, has taken place following a dramatic increase in traffic heading in both directions.

A further BD2 million is being spent improving facilities at the causeway, including construction of shops, restaurants, health centres and new security centres on both sides of the causeway.

Renovations include establishing a commercial centre on the Bahrain side at a cost of around BD800,000, housing restaurants, coffee outlets and other shops.

The centre is due to be completed in the first quarter of next year.-TradeArabia News Service