Mwasalat has announced a two-year programme offering complimentary rides for students in Muscat and Salalah. What more can be done to encourage people to use public transport? Here’s what Muscat Daily readers said:

Ali al Harthy, Student

I welcome this move by the authorities. Free rides for students is a great initiative, but expanding bus routes to more residential areas would make public transport more accessible to families. Additionally, there must be dedicated bus lanes that can improve travel time and encourage more people to use the service during rush hours.

Arun Menon, Businessman

To promote public transport, Mwasalat could introduce family weekend passes and expand evening services. Many working parents would appreciate affordable, safe options for their children after school hours, which would encourage the whole family to rely more on buses.

Abdullah al Amri, Teacher

Introducing express routes during peak hours and shuttle services from key residential areas to business districts will boost usage. Collaborating with local events like Muscat Nights Festival and those at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre for free shuttle services can also encourage people to leave their cars behind which will reduce traffic congestion.

Aftab Khan, Retiree

One of the best ways is to maintain time of the buses, mainly the airport service. I have seen that the frequency of buses from airport to Ruwi is not good. Also, giving discounts on special days of the year like Eid and Nation Day would be excellent. I also suggest that bus services are provided to different parts of the country at reasonable prices. These services should be promoted on social media. Let people see and feel the country through the windows of buses rather than cars.

Sanjay Patel, Private sector employee

A good incentive to get more people to use bus services would be to offer weekly or monthly passes like Dubai Metro.

Ayesha al Balushi, Homemaker

This is an excellent decision. I feel that there must also be a promotional programme for housewives so that we don’t always need to be dependent on drivers. Public transport can be made more appealing by offering discounted monthly passes for housewives and working individuals. Clean, safe and air-conditioned bus stops will also make the experience more comfortable.

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