All taxis should have meters with the fares to be determined by the authorities, said the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), which issued a ministerial order regulating the activities of taxi operators and car rental services under the Land Transport Law. As per the order, published in the Official Gazette on Sunday, the ministry will determine the fares for all modes of land transport, including taxis, after studying the supply and demand, operational costs, including fuel prices. The passenger will pay the taxi fare after he/she is dropped at his/her destination.
If a journey is not completed for reasons beyond the control of the driver or due to a sudden breakdown, the passenger will pay for that part of the trip only. If a driver concludes the journey without citing any reason, then the passenger can refrain from paying any fare. Taxis registered in the GCC countries are allowed to enter the Sultanate to transport passengers, but not permitted to ferry passengers within two points in the Sultanate. Same rules apply to taxis carrying passengers from one governorate to another. These inter-city taxis can pick up passengers on the way back to their governorate and fares will be levied as per the approved tariffs.
The taxi operator should be an Omani, must have a valid driving licence, valid for three years, must not be less than 21 years old and not more than 60 years. He will be allowed to operate beyond 60 years provided a medical report from the accredited health institutions is submitted.
The taxi operators should not have been previously caught for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any psychotropic substances in the three years preceding their application.
His monthly salary shall not exceed RO 600 if he is a private sector employee. He should pass a training course at the Institute of Traffic Safety of the Royal Oman Police. The taxi drivers must also follow guidelines.
They should be attired in Omani dress, should not smoke inside the vehicle, be well-behaved with passengers and have meters inside vehicles.
They should not look for passengers on the streets, except in dedicated areas.
All items left by passengers inside the vehicle should either be handed over to the owner at his/her location or to the nearest police station. Taxis can accommodate only five people, including the driver.
The number can go up to seven in sliding door cabs.
All vehicles should be equipped with a fire extinguisher that is accessible to the driver.
The vehicle should be equipped with tracking, navigation and communication systems.
The colour and appearance of the vehicle should be as per specifications adopted by the ministry and other authorities.
The life of a taxi operated by the companies should not exceed seven years (for establishments) and ten years (for individuals).
The insurance of the vehicle should cover passengers and the third party at one of the registered insurance companies in the Sultanate.
All taxis should have fare meters, tracking system and a light panel at the top. They should be approved by the ministry.
Rental vehicles: The vehicle should not include more than eight people, including the driver.
The companies should provide sufficient number of employees for managing their activities.
The car rental details should be submitted to the Royal Oman Police.
The client should pay financial fines incurred in the event of any violations.
Other regulations include documenting all transactions in an organised manner, inspecting and maintaining the vehicle on a regular basis and reporting the losses left by owners inside the vehicles.
All clients should be in a position to pay the rent and should possess a valid driving licence.
The rental company shall be held liable in the following cases: if they fail to verify identity of the customer, no valid driving licence and failure of the tenant to pay in case of traffic violations. All contracts for rental vehicles must be available in Arabic and English.
NEW REGULATIONS: The executive regulations of the Land Transport Law have imposed fines for a number of violations including a fine of RO 100 for non-compliance with the trip schedules, neglecting the specifications set by the ministry regarding the maintenance of buses and failure to keep safety equipment in the vehicle. The regulations impose a fine of RO 200 in case of the second and third repetition of these violations and a withdrawal of licence for a further violation.
As per the new regulations also impose a fine of RO 500 for using means of land transport that are not registered in the Sultanate and without a permit from the ministry.
The regulations levied a fine of RO 50 for failure to run the metre and RO 200 for removing the metre altogether and RO 50 for using a vehicle with shabby interior or exterior.
As per the regulations, violations such as the driver smoking inside the vehicle, operating a means of land transport by using an invalid card, failure to notify the ministry with the modifications which occurred at the establishment or its equipment, failure to hand over belongings forgotten in the vehicle by passengers invite a fine of RO 50.
A fine of RO 200 will be levied for the violation of installing a metre that doesn’t meet the ministry’s specifications.
Vinod Nair
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