NFC, Mwasalat set to join hands to serve Muscat-Shinas-Khasab route

Mwasalat and National Ferries Company (NFC) will enter into pact for seamless travel on the Muscat-Shinas-Khasab land and sea routes.

An official with Mwasalat said, “We are in the process of entering into a partnership with NFC. The chief executive officers of both companies are negotiating the finer points of the pact. Lots of issues need to be addressed before finalising the pact including the ticket prices, timings of the service and operation days amongst others.” A tweet from NFC and Mwasalat stated, “From the bus to the ferry. Let’s go to Khasab. Muscat-ShinasKhasab route (sic).”

As part of the agreement, Mwasalat buses will facilitate passenger movement till Shinas from where NFC runs ferry service on the Shinas-Dibba-Khasab route.

NFC is a key contributor to the maritime transport in Oman. Oman’s long coastline makes NFC service a necessity for citizens and tourists alike. NFC vessels carried 108,628 passengers in the first half of 2017 compared to 99,871 in the same period of last year, recording a nine per cent growth rate.

Meanwhile, Mwasalat carried more than 2.2mn passengers between January 1 and June 30 this year compared to 1.4mn in the same period last year. It carried on an average more than 12,000 passengers per day this year compared to more than 8,000 in the same period of 2016.