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Dear Stan, I was surprised to find about the new ferry service between Bahrain and Dammam.

Not wanting to discuss the quality of the decision at this time, I prefer to focus on one of the main reasons for this service to be established; the mess that is today, the Causeway.

I cross the Causeway quite frequently, but I cannot claim that I do that every day, so I will respect the views of more frequent travellers.

In my opinion, I am sad to say, the problem of the Causeway lays with the cumbersome process that has developed as a result of the daily practice.

Today, the crossing requires seven steps, coming from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain:

Booth Number One: Pay toll.

Booth Number Two: Obtain paper that clears the passage of the car.

Booth Number Three: Present passport to exit KSA Booth.

Booth Number Four: KSA police checkpoint (this step does not exist if you are coming from Bahrain to KSA).

Booth Number Five: Present passport to enter Bahrain.

Booth Number Six: Customs inspection.

Booth Number Seven: Pay insurance to enter Bahrain, or if you have Bahrain plates, just return paper given in step Number Two.

Now, I suspect that if we take a small sample of elementary school students (not necessarily, the gifted ones), they will soon ask us the following questions:

a) Can toll, car clearance and insurance be done at the same booth?

b) Can both passports processes be done at the same booth?

c) Can police check point (KSA side) be eliminated? (What is it that they check anyway?)

d) Can Customs inspection have a sample review? (Five out of 10 cars - seven out of 10 etc)

e) Alternatively, can cars be scanned like containers at ports?

I suppose that the students will be told that:

A) There are certain procedures that cannot be conducted at the same time.

B) There are information systems that don't interact with each other.

C) there is an imperative to check every car (alcohol, arms, etc).

Then I suspect that if you ask the students to come up with ideas and potential solutions, they will present plenty of creative ways of solving these obstacles.

So, to end my note, why doesn't Bahrain and the KSA get together a number of students and propose this as a possible '2009 project', to be rewarded by both countries together, in a nice ceremony on the Causeway, with the presence of the authorities and a lot of customers from both countries?

Well, I am sure that plenty of adult, mature, important people will come back with a lot of good reasons for not doing this. But that would be the topic of another note...

Juan Caballero,

investor, Bahrain

resident.

Dear Stan,

I read about the proposed ferry service between Saudi and Bahrain in GulfWeekly last week.

Whilst interesting, what would be far more appealing (especially for those of us who cannot go to Saudi due to visa issues etc) would be a service to the UAE.

Imagine, being able to leave on a Thursday evening after work and arriving nice and fresh in the morning in Dubai - enjoying a great weekend or longer with say a drive to Oman - no airport, car rental or taxi hassles.

It would certainly make Bahrain a far less isolated place to live.

Kamal Raza,

Bahrain.

Dear Stan,

With regards to the ferry service (April 1) report. No doubt it will be gas powered!

Simon Hart,

H M consul/

management officer.

Editor's note: The GulfWeekly has been inundated with calls, emails and letters regarding our April 1 spoof report on a proposed ferry link from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

The organisers of the forthcoming International Boat Show and officials at the new Khalifa bin Salman Port also had to field an avalanche of inquiries but took the article in the good spirit it was intended.

The first vessel to dock at the new port actually arrived in Bahrain on April 2.

It was not the cleverly disguised North Sea Ferrries' The Pride of Hull as featured in last week's GulfWeekly but the Heogh America carrying 144 cars from Europe and the US.

However, our tease reignited the debate over the dreadful delays caused to motorists trying to cross over the King Fahad Causeway which has been crippled by long traffic jams.

It would appear a ferry solution to the nightmare might be a ferry good idea after all. Watch this space for developments.

Regular GulfWeekly columnists The Whisperer and Betsy are both away this week dealing with a 'bit of business' in the UK. I am not one to spread rumours but the G20 summit is over and I have been informed they will both be back in the kingdom shortly.