Sunday 19 / May / 2024
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, (MoTCIT), said on Sunday that the campaign to clamp down on illegal transportation will continue in the Sultanate of Oman.
The ministry urged workers in the transport sector to adhere to the requirements of the Land Transport Law and its regulations as they ensure effective implementation of the law.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, the ministry assured that no expatriate would be harassed nor would he be fined if he is not breaking the Land Transport Law.
The clarification from the ministry comes after a series of alleged reports of fines being slapped on expatriates who were ferrying friends to the airport or delivering goods in their private vehicles.
Expatriates had widely expressed their concerns on social media and on various Whatsapp groups and other social platforms on the exorbitant fines being imposed by officials for even “dropping their friends to the airport”.
Times of Oman received several complaints with people sending across receipts of OMR200 fine they had received.
Allaying the fears of the expatriate community, the statement said: “The inspection teams came across a number of violations, including violations of the requirements for carrying out transport activities with regard to the transportation of goods and ferrying individuals. It added: “The inspection teams have been instructed to ensure that only drivers who violate the provisions of the executive regulations of the Land Transport Law should be fined.
“Fines would not be imposed on people who ferry their acquaintances and friends to pick or drop at the airport if they do not charge them or the driver doesn’t receive any financial reward.”
The ministry statement said: “If people have been penalised while ferrying their friends or relatives, their grievances can be submitted about the violations for review at the Land Transport Department at the Ministry’s General Office or the Roads Departments in the governorates within 15 days from the date of its issuance.”
The statement said: “Through these campaigns, the ministry aims to organise the land transport sector and open the way for companies and individuals to invest in this vital sector after obtaining the necessary approvals and permits from the ministry and the concerned authorities.”
The statement from the ministry said: “The Ministry would like to clarify that the inspection campaigns on land transport, which the ministry has recently begun to implement, aims to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Land Transport Law. The implementation of regulations are to ensure the safety of users of land transport and the safety of goods and to preserve the rights of the parties of land transport carriers (the sender and the consignee).
