Muscat: Taxi drivers who stop their vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers in places other than the designated ones will invite heavy fines. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has issued a decision on Sunday amending some of the regulations in the Road Transport Law.
According to the amendments, violators will face harsh penalties including cancellation of their licence apart from hefty fines. “It is an offence for taxis to pick up or drop off passengers at places other than the designated stops”, said a statement from the ministry quoting the amended text.
This shall be punishable by a fine of RO 50 for the first offenders, RO 100 for the second violation and RO 200 for the third time. “Licence will be revoked if the person is caught for the fourth time”, the statement said.
The decision was issued after amending Article 35 of the Law. In Muscat, passengers very often flag down taxis while standing on the edge of the road. When Observer spoke to Juma Balushi, a taxi driver in Muscat said, there are not enough parking bays for taxis except at airports or malls.
“Even if there are any, they are far between. Some people don’t even know where the taxi stops are or if there’s a rule about it”, he said. Some passengers are difficult as they want to be dropped off at a certain place, and expect drivers to stop right there, he said.
Welcoming the decision, a car owner said, “many taxi drivers are found to be stopping their vehicles abruptly when they find a commuter. This often blocks the traffic.” The decision will definitely stop crowding of taxis at different points, he said
“It can be dangerous to stop at places which are not meant to pick up commuters. It’s not right. The only alternative is to use a designated stop or call a cab to a location where it can pick you up from’, said another car owner.
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