Council to review business timings

The Central Municipal Council is convening on Saturday to review the business timings for industries and service shops in its areas, writes Naila Barakat.
The council will finalise new timings for industries, laundry services, cold stores and other shops, the chairman of the health and environment committee, Abbas Mahfoodh, said.
“Industries and service shops in Tubli, Mameer and Salmabad work until late hours and the committee tasked with rescheduling the timings will set new regulations. The decision follows reports that some shops remain open until midnight and some until 2am. Even industries close late. We have received complaints from residents, particularly from Mameer, Salmabad and Tubli, about people honking their cars and demanding various things from cold stores and other services shops,” he said.
Mahfoodh said that the committee would prepare four or five schedules based on the category of each business and there would be different timings for industries, institutions, cold stores and other shops. “The Capital Municipal Council has introduced new business hours in Manama. Normally shops remain open until midnight in Tubli and some even after 12pm. No shop should remain open after midnight.”