According to the Oman Daily Observer, Muscat’s public transport system, including the Muscat Metro project, has been given top priority and is progressing through various stages of implementation, as highlighted in the Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit’s annual report.
The proposed $2.6 billion metro line will span over 55 km, with 42 stations planned.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology has already issued a tender to oversee and regulate transportation systems, the report adds.
Plans for 2024 include finalizing legislation for the sector, setting guidelines for electric vehicle usage, and enhancing the electronic transport document system.
The report emphasizes that the Muscat Metro Project is one of the most significant upcoming public transport initiatives. In 2023, a specialized team was formed to manage the project and oversee related studies. This team has completed the initial feasibility study, covering financing strategies and alternatives, and has collaborated with the Muscat Metro Master Plan team to outline the proposed features for the metro system.
The financing options were reviewed, and recommendations were presented to the Muscat Metro Ministerial Committee in November 2023.
The plan for this year includes equipping the Muscat Metro team with the necessary expertise and appointing a project management consultant to finalize the technical requirements.
In addition, Oman’s national transport development strategy aims to regulate the land transport sector and increase its annual revenue by 20% through the remainder of the tenth five-year plan, ending in 2025.
By December 2023, the full implementation of the executive regulations for the Land Transport Law was achieved, resulting in the issuance of over 163,000 operating cards for land transport—up from 33,000 in 2022—and 5,500 land transport activity licenses. The installation of a smart scale on the Al Batinah Expressway, the addition of 13 new services to the Naql platform, the review of executive regulations, and the removal of exemptions were also key accomplishments.
Taxi operating licenses, previously restricted to taxi owners, are now available to companies providing taxi services through smart applications, following the introduction of regulatory changes.
