Not wearing seatbelts, talking on the phone while driving, speeding and other improper behaviours on the road are common offences for which drivers pay fines and get a reprimand.
Drivers, however, should know that not keeping their cars clean is also an offence under the Sultanate of Oman’s motor vehicle rules. It has been clearly mentioned in an ROP traffic manual that driving a dirty car with deposit of dust on it amounts to an offence for which a car owner is liable to pay fine.
“Driving dirty vehicle with dust on it amounts to traffic rules violation’’, says the code on vehicle rules violations.
So it is advisable for car users to wash their car if it is dirty; otherwise it may invite fine during regular checking of the traffic policemen.
A doctor working in a private hospital in Muscat admitted to having paid a fine because his car was not clean or maybe not “up to the mark” as per cleaning standards of the traffic rules.
“While driving one afternoon from home to office, I was stopped by the traffic policemen, who wanted to check whether I was wearing seatbelt or not. They checked, and I thought it was okay for me to go. But they came closer to my car, touched the roof and said: Your car is dirty and you have to pay fine.”
“A fine of RO 10 was registered against my vehicle, which I paid during the renewal of my Mulkiya’’, the doctor said.
“Since it was a new experience to me, I informed all my friends to keep their cars clean to avoid fines during regular vehicle checking’’, he said.
@patkaushal
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