Monitoring of the causeway traffic is done through our sources who are known to us and in direct communication with our website. Another important source is you, the causeway user, through the SMS messages that you can send to us. We will collect and add those messages to our own sources for a more complete coverage at a more closely-spaced time intervals.
We will rely on the messages you send us so that you may benefit as well as others. Please don’t hesitate to send us an SMS to 0564601144 once you cross the four points in full (customs, passports, passports and customs again)
What to send ?
We need the time it takes you to cross the four points (in minutes), followed by the letter “s” to signify that the crossing is from Saudi to Bahrain or the letter “b” indicating the crossing is from Bahrain to Saudi.
For example, if it takes you an hour and a quarter to cross the four points completely as you go from Saudi to Bahrain then your short message reads: “75 s” where the number represents the time in minutes that took you to make the crossing. Another example is if it takes you half an hour to cross the four points as you come from Bahrain to Saudi then your message will read: “30 b”
Do you use those SMS messages to determine traffic density ?
Yes but in conjunction with our own resources who monitor the causeway daily. We use both resources for a better coverage and more accuracy.
How reliable are the messages?
Currently we give more weight to our own resources but with time, we anticipate that we can rely more on the short messages we get from the causeway users. Some of us have probably inquired from their friends who were a head of them on the causeway about the conditions there and were satisfied with the answers they got in spite of the difference in timing and the single feedback. Imagine hundreds or possibly thousands of voices being aired on our website daily for all to benefit.
The biggest obstacle was in determining a measure for traffic density that all users understand. For this, we only ask for the time spent in crossing all four points.
What about phony messages ?
Those will be filtered out. Any message that contains anomalous data compared to the rest of the messages for the same time frame will be left out and considered anomalous. In the unlikely event that we get too many contradicting messages, we rely on our own resources but in the majority of cases we believe the users are keen to send credible information especially that we ask for a simple measure which is the time spent, so no confusion there.
Finally, keep this number handy (0564601144) and use it to send us your feedback, once you pass all four points. Your cooperation will help us help you determine the traffic density so that you can spend more quality time in your home or office and less waiting time on the causeway.
Remember we need your message after the final (fourth) check point (i.e., after clearing the customs)
I had read the article on King Fahd causeway traffic updates in Arab news today. Frankly speaking I am confused with the objective of your website.
1- Is the objective to only measure the time taken to cross the causeway to Bahrain & provide this information to public to analyze the peak hours & plan their travel to Bahrain accordingly.
or
2- Or constantly monitor the causeway traffic going to Bahrain & provide information to travellers every 10 minutes.
The current system applied by one of the Radio stations 104.1 FM Bahrain of giving frequent traffic updates in Bahrain is as follows:
People travelling within Bahrain constantly keep calling the Radio Jockey (RJ) of the radio station to give traffic updates. Any traffic found is constatly reported & people are advised to take alternate routes. This helps the people who are travelling & listenning to this radio channel. For this they have provided a telephone number to call. The only drawback I see is being an Indian raidio channel only Indians happen to listen to it. Other nationals do not get the traffic update. But other radio channels can also start doing it & this way radio business will florish once again as people listen to radios when they travel.
Why don’t we consider something of this kind. Since every person cannot access website & get update when he has started from Dammam to travel to Bahrain.
I am a frequent traveller to Bahrain. I have travelled at the same time every week & sometimes found traffic & at times there was no traffic at all.
Best Regards,
Mukhtar Khan
Hi Mukhtar,
The objective is both. We let you know the traffic status every 15 minutes, and an estimate of the time it takes to cross the four points. We have plans to make mobile apps for free, and SMS messaging service, so that you can check the traffic status wherever you are.
Regards,
Mohammad
Thanks for the reply, currently this service will only benefit the user who are linked to internet & not others since you have not started the internet SMS service. Also on the website I could not find the status, please explain.
Very good and useful site.
How can I find historical information, for example the travel times last Friday?
Thank you
Hello Mukhtar,
We will be launching the SMS service very soon.
May I get a screenshot if what do you see in the main page of the site? So that I can see how come you don’t find the status.
Hello Paris,
You can only know the status within the last 24 hours, and it’s displayed under “Past Status” . After we gather 6 months data, we will show statistics of which days you better travel in, and in what time.
Mohammad,
this is a great service and idea. to the extent you want to be more adventurous and if you have collected data on the four points, you may consider utilizing some queuing theory to see if the traffic can be more effeciently managed. There are some programs on the web (I have to look for them) that will allow you to simulate traffic flow and how the lines are divided. with the right data and some perservence you may come up with some easily implementable ideas that would ease traffic (i.e. how to stagger working hours, number of booths open, whether a line car should be directed to a line rather than getting into a line). However, whether it would be implemented in another matter.
good job.
Nabeel
That’s pretty nice Nabeel. We are actually in a better solution where we can track the traffic status more easily, more accurate, all times, and display the output in the easiest way to read, and to understand.
Hopefully we can implement this new way at the end of this year.
I was in the 3 hour blockage on the Saudi side at 7.00 am yesterday (17Nov) and missed my 9.40am flight to Kuwait – However, what did impress me was the speed at which the 5000 cars were processed when their system got live.
Helloo,
It seems a useful website.
Especially the current causeway update will help the person who is travelling from Bahrain Airport. Congrats for those who are putting their best effort for this website a huge success?
All the best!!!
Hello,
Your website is excellent and good job!
One suggestion would be is to place several webcams at strategic point all over the causeway, similar to public cams worldwide. Assuming authorities allow it!
This way you can see live, the number of carspassing at anypoint and also people with 3G service can watch it on their mobile phones.
Regards
Mansoor Alikhan
Dear Mansoor,
It’s pretty hard to put cameras in the this critical area. We’ve already talked to the authorities and they said it’s nearly impossible, even for them.
First, thank you for this great effort. Secondly, I had contributed to this effort by sending SMS about the traffic status when I learned about the website yesterday.
I am waiting for your smartphone applications, which you promised by Q1 2010. May I suggest something I find it hard to do but is worth suggesting which is installing webcam that take still pictures every 60 sec and to be installed at high place to only show the traffic not the people.
I will continue to contribute every time I go to / comeback from Bahrain.
Many thanks
Mohamed,
Thanks for your contribution
As for the camera, it’s nearly impossible to do such a thing, due to the nature of the area we are covering. We have spoken to the authority about this, and they refused.
Regards,
Mohammad