Motorists in Muscat are irked as they are held up by minor traffic accidents during morning hours. According to reports received by the Observer, even a small incident on Qurm Heights-Sarooj stretch can hold up vehicles for several minutes until the vehicle is brought to the side by the police or motorists involved in the skirmish.
“I had a meeting to attend in the Airports Heights area around 9.30 am recently. I left my home near Oman Oil petrol pump in Qurum, but was held up by traffic near Sarooj for about 30 minutes. I left home early (8.20 am), but was still late for the meeting by 10 minutes,” said Ravishankar Pradhan, an executive in the hospitality industry.
He, however, said: “Such incidents are common on the Qurm Heights road during the morning rush hour.”
According to rules, those involved in minor road accidents should immediately move their vehicles to the side of the road and not wait for the police to arrive at the site.
Ahmed, who works for a bank in the CBD area, aired the same grievance. “We should set aside 15-20 minutes for emergency situations. Drivers are in such a hurry that they change lanes needlessly to reach their destination quickly,” he said.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) keeps urging motorists to ‘use indicator’ before changing lanes. “Don’t emerge suddenly into another lane. A wrong indication can result in a fatal accident,” it says.
On the other hand, some motorists fail to maintain safe distance from the vehicle in the front, especially at the signals.
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