The Services and Public Utilities Committee of the Shura Council hosted Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Nadabi, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Company of Oman (Mwasalat), on Sunday morning as part of its ongoing study on the proposal titled “Reducing Traffic Congestion in Muscat Governorate through the Development of a Sustainable Urban Transport System.” The study aims to address one of the governorate’s most pressing public service challenges while keeping pace with its rapid urban and population growth.

 

 

 

The meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr. Hamoud Ahmed Al Yahyai, Head of the Committee, and attended by the committee’s members. During the meeting, the CEO of Mwasalat delivered a presentation highlighting the key performance indicators and objectives of the Public Transport Strategy 2040, the implementation status of the Bus Transport Strategic Plan (2015–2040), and the current progress achieved. The presentation also reviewed the master plan for public transport stations across the Sultanate of Oman.
 

Al Nadabi outlined the company’s future plans and projects to expand the public transport network and strengthen connectivity between the wilayats and governorates of Muscat, contributing to reduced traffic congestion. He also reviewed the main destinations currently served by Mwasalat’s public transport network within Muscat Governorate.
 

The meeting examined a number of key indicators and statistics, including the total number of public transport passengers, which has exceeded 74 million since 2015. It also highlighted the number of bus stops across the network, with 930 stops currently serving city routes and 450 stops serving intercity routes.
 

 

In addition, Mwasalat’s strategic plan was compared with the achievements made during the short- and medium-term implementation phases for urban, intercity, and international bus routes.
 

The CEO also referred to a number of projects currently under coordination with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, which are expected to address several traffic congestion challenges and further enhance public transport services.
 

Furthermore, Al Nadabi highlighted the smart initiatives and innovative solutions adopted by Mwasalat to improve the efficiency of public transport services, promote environmental sustainability, and encourage a shift from private vehicle use to public transportation. He also discussed the direct and indirect economic, social, and environmental returns of these initiatives, as well as profitability benchmarks compared with other cities and the operational conditions experienced during the implementation of the strategy.
 

The meeting also reviewed several operational challenges facing Mwasalat in its efforts to reduce traffic congestion. These include delays in implementing dedicated lanes for public transport buses and emergency vehicles, the absence of bus signal priority at traffic intersections—which requires the redesign of numerous traffic signals and the provision of bus bays in all directions—as well as the misuse of public bus stops by private vehicles.
 

Committee members engaged in extensive discussions emphasizing the importance of improving public transport services and reducing traffic congestion and bottlenecks. They also expressed hope that future transport stations would be developed as fully integrated transport hubs. The committee further stressed the need to intensify public awareness campaigns through various media platforms and strengthen coordination among relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable and comprehensive solutions to traffic congestion.
 

The committee noted that it has held a series of meetings and consultations with relevant entities as part of its efforts to formulate practical recommendations and comprehensive solutions aimed at improving service quality and enhancing public transport services across Muscat Governorate.