Muscat — The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology has reported a notable escalation in the utilization of electronic services and the issuance of smart application licenses within the terrestrial transportation sector.
Undersecretary Eng. Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shammakhi, of the Ministry, underscored that since the inception of the "Naql" platform in 2020, there has been a remarkable surge in electronic transactions, with over 429,000 transactions processed. This platform now encompasses 15 electronic services, addressing a wide array of domains, including taxi licensing, passenger transport by bus, and freight transportation.
In a statement to the Oman News Agency, His Excellency highlighted the platform's role in the issuance of seven taxi service applications, two passenger transport by bus applications, and five freight transportation applications. Moreover, four licenses have been allocated for the establishment of land transport shelters, designed to ensure safe and appropriate facilities located a safe distance from residential areas.
Eng. Al Shammakhi further disclosed that the "Naql" platform has witnessed a significant increase in the registration of land transport vehicles, surpassing 490,000 vehicles utilized for both passenger and goods transport. Additionally, the platform has facilitated the transportation of over 12 million passengers.
Concerning the Ministry's regulatory endeavors in overseeing and addressing violations within the terrestrial transportation sector, His Excellency revealed the registration of approximately 12,000 violations related to unauthorized passenger transport by expatriates, along with 8,000 violations concerning unauthorized freight transport by expatriates.
Eng. Al Shammakhi emphasized that these statistics underscore a broader trend of growth within the terrestrial transportation sector and an increasing dependency on electronic services and smart applications by the public.
