Is carpooling an option in Muscat to reduce traffic, parking woes?

Observer

17-07-2025

Muscat: Muscat Municipality is encouraging travellers in Oman to consider carpooling as a sustainable and economically efficient solution in the field of mobility.
The civic body claims that carpooling will contribute to reducing the environmental impact and decongesting traffic, while also promoting solidarity and interaction between people who opt for this type of transport.
While carpooling in itself is not a trend in Muscat among road users, the concept of shared taxis was quite popular in the country till a few years ago, particularly among the lowly-paid expatriates who could not afford to engage a taxi for daily commuting to offices and home.
The shared taxi concept has seen a decline in recent times, with the growing popularity of app-based ride services and the development of the bus network in the capital and across the country.
Other benefits of carpooling include pollution reduction as sharing vehicles reduces the number of cars on the road, which reduces emissions, contributing to the improvement of air quality and reducing the carbon footprint.
By reducing the number of cars on the road, traffic congestion is also reduced, resulting in faster journeys and less stress for drivers
Co-passengers can share transport costs, which allows them to reduce their expenses, and most importantly, carpooling will help to alleviate the demand for parking spaces in urban areas.
Meanwhile, public transport has been gaining acceptance in the Sultanate as Mwasalat carried more than 4,750,000 (4.7 million) passengers in 2024 at the rate of 12,000 daily passengers.
The Ferries carried 244,862 passengers and 60,000 vehicles at a rate of 671 daily passengers.
The percentage of Omani passengers in intercity buses was 26.89% and 75% for Ferries.
The percentage of Omanisation in the company is 94.85 percent.
It may be noted that the first phase of public transport in Oman was between 2015-2018, which saw the introduction of bus services on main and secondary routes, streamlining of taxis, and improvement of the walkways.
The second phase, which started in 2019 and will end this year, includes the expansion of bus services with new routes, dedicated bus lines, and the provision of new bus stations.
The third phase (2026-2040) will witness the progress on the development of the Muscat metro and the introduction of water taxis.
According to Market Research Future, the growing popularity of ridesharing platforms and specific carpooling applications can be attributed to their cost-effectiveness, affordability, and ecological advantages. Furthermore, government programs and rewards are contributing to the market expansion for carpooling.
The market for carpooling offers opportunities for integrating technology, such as smooth payments, real-time ride matching, and dynamic route optimization.