Bahrain could soon scrap road numbers and replace them with names of prominent community figures, said a senior official.

The new system would first be introduced in the Central Governorate, where there are plans to name a road in West Riffa after Bahraini philanthropist Shaikh Yousif Bahzad.

The plans have been approved by Municipal and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi.

"The minister's approval of the use of the philanthropist's name for an inner road would open doors for us to have names of prominent figures rather than the current numbering system," said council chairman Abdulrazzak Al Hattab at yesterday's (February 12) council meeting.

"Currently, names of prominent figures and famous locations are used on major roads and highways, not on inner roads.

"People here tend to recognise roads named after people or locations more than memorising numbers.

"So changing the system within neighbourhoods will be an easy task for the government and here we have to present them as an initiative with names that we believe should be put on signs."

Councillors had earlier sought to name a major street in the area after the Bahraini but it was rejected because the sequence of Bahrain's street names was based on the country's islands.

The minister instead named the street Al Sayah Avenue, after a famous Muharraq island.

Al Hattab said Bahrain's other four municipal councils should follow their lead in changing the existing system.

"Bahrain is in need to abolish the numbering system because it is old-fashioned and instead depend on names and it would be nice if people and locations are remembered for generations to come.

"We will co-ordinate with other councils to have it implemented across the country," Al Hattab added.

Meanwhile, councillors said they should have the power to change names on existing major roads as well. "We as councillors have every right to replace any name wherever we like and telling us that labels follow a pattern is something unacceptable," said council towns and villages committee chairman Khalid Amer.

"For example, in my constituency (Isa Town), all major roads are named after capitals of Arab countries, which I don't have a problem with, but what if I or any resident had a problem with it at any certain point? Can we change it?

"Those roads have been named before people had the right to voice their opinion, when things were completely controlled by a centralised decision but things have changed and we have to revise names and suggest replacements."

However, ministry legal consultant Dr Adel Faoud said naming streets was the government's decision and requires consultation from councils. "It is not the councils' right to change names, it just suggests and the government decides," he Dr Faoud added. – TradeArabia News Service