Muscat: The number of users of the regular public bus service (Mwasalat) exceeded five million passengers in 2025, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT).
Mwasalat currently operates 12 bus routes in Muscat and two in Salalah, with plans to launch services in Nizwa in the future.
The Ministry is currently implementing several projects, including the digital ticketing platform, the IVMS tracking system, and public transport stations.
The envisaged ITS will deliver real-time fleet control, seamless cashless payments, accurate passenger data, and a modern MaaS app/web platform to enhance passenger experience and operational efficiency.
The bids for the RFI on new city & intercity buses were also recently floated to conduct a market assessment for the potential future procurement of new public transport buses for city and intercity operations.
The shift to public transport is important because private vehicles dominate daily commuting in Muscat, according to the Muscat Area Traffic Study 2025.
The results indicated that 97 percent of daily trips in the governorate are made using private cars, and nearly 71.9 percent of these trips are single-occupant, highlighting the prevalence of solo travel.
MTCIT has been evaluating the public transport network, which includes current public transport services in the Sultanate of Oman within and between major cities, as well as between neighbouring countries.
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