MUSCAT: The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), through its executive arm Oman Global Logistics Group (Asyad), has invited bids from the private sector companies for the construction and development of specialised truck terminals at Sohar Free Zone, Khazaen Economic City and the wilayats of Adam, Haima and Thamrait.
The ministry has invited companies for establishing truck weighing stations along Al Batinah Expressway, which include tenders for preparation of the main layout and the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the facilities.
The ministry said each truck terminal will be built on a 10,000 sqm plot.
These stations will include car parks, accommodation for drivers, restaurants, workshops, spare parts shops, mosques, pharmacies, commercial stores and petrol stations, among others.
As per the tender terms, developers should build high-quality environmentally-friendly facilities that meet the local market needs.
Besides, the project should comply with standards and be a model for stations that come up in the future.
As for the truck weigh stations, the ministry said it will improve the way truck weight is monitored along the Sultanate’s roads and set up integrated truck stations, which include a number of services relating to weighing operations.
The objective is to avoid hazards caused by trucks loaded with extra weight.
The project will start with the establishment of six truck weigh stations along the Al Batinah Expressway, with each built on a 10,000 sqm area.
It will include scales for checking vehicle weight on movement and standstill as well as control rooms, truck parks and other facilities.
Oman seeks to overcome challenges facing the land transport sector, the most prominent of which is the trucks pulling over on the roadside on a daily basis while some trucks carry extra weight, undermining traffic safety and causing enormous damage to the infrastructure. They also create unfair competition with companies that abide by the weight limit.
According to statistics, there are 64,000 trucks registered in the Sultanate in addition to trucks entering the country from neighbouring countries. Salim bin Mohammed al Nuaimi, Under-secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications, said the invitation to private companies to bid for tenders comes within the context of the ministry’s vision to support the logistics infrastructure giving the private sector more opportunities to invest in road projects and related services. — ONA
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