Please take a relook at this road

Ali Al Matani - ali.matani2@gmail.com - Roads in the Muscat Governorate were planned in the early eighties. These roads were able to deal with the traffic density those days as there were fewer vehicles on the road compared with what we see now. Now these roads are unable to handle the increase in the number of vehicles, density of population and increased commercial activity on both sides of the roads. The road in question is the Al Khuwair road which branches out from the Sultan Qaboos road. Unfortunately, it has become too congested these days. One of the solutions in such a situation is a slight modification in traffic flow on the road. Turning the road into a one-way with a rear exit can be one of the remedies to overcome the traffic bottleneck. The traffic is so much on the road that it takes a long time even to travel short distances, resulting in frustration for motorists. There is no doubt such branch roads are important for serving the main roads. These roads are an integral part of the network of roads in the Sultanate. But with the passage of time, they are unable to accommodate increased traffic and meet the present-day requirements. Perhaps the branch road in Al Khuwair opposite to the ministries’ area is one of the roads that can no longer accommodate two-way traffic. There is increased commercial activity in the area with shopping malls, hotels, exhibition centres and banks that lead to frequent traffic jams. The area has become a nerve centre in the city due to a large number of residential and commercial complexes in the area. But the road in the area has become bothersome for those who drive regularly. It also doesn’t look good when you see traffic moving at a snail’s pace, (bumper to bumper), particularly during peak hours — morning and evening. It is the duty of the Muscat Municipality to handle the new situation that has arisen. It has to make efforts to improve the situation either by merging two sides into one, or if possible, expand both sides of the road. It should find exit points from the road to make traffic smoother in coordination with the Directorate-General of Traffic of Royal Oman Police (ROP). This should be part of its planning to improve tracks or alternative roads. The side roads, like the internal roads in governorates and wilayats, have added to the beauty of residential and commercial areas. They are useful for users of such places and roads. Simply preserving old roads without improving and modernising them is not a good idea. On the back roads, there are exits available that take you to reach Al Khuwair and beyond. This makes traffic smoother on this track and creates a sense of relief on one of the roads in Muscat Governorate. We hope the Muscat Municipality will take up this task to improve this road as traffic congestion is increasing here by the day. There is no doubt the municipality has always been keen on dealing with such obstacles to keep Muscat beautiful and vibrant.