Mwasalat names general manager for taxi service

MUSCAT: Mwasalat has named Mobbashir Abdulmajeed al Balushi as general manager of taxi service. The company in a statement said Mobbashir has over 25 years of experience in management, marketing and business development. Mwasalat was one of the two companies who were granted licenses to manage the taxi services with the existing taxi drivers and workers.

The licence provided to Mwasalat included the management of the taxis operating at Muscat International Airport, commercial centres and malls in Muscat, in addition to providing taxi-on- demand in the capital. The taxi management company will fix a meter in each vehicle to calculate the fares. The meter will be calibrated every six months by the authorised dealer and the driver should keep the calibration certificate inside the vehicle. The ministry will issue an operation card for each vehicle, in the colour approved by the Ministry of Transport and Communication. Drivers are required to maintain the card inside the vehicle.

Apart from having a proper tracking system, passengers should be offered all information with regards to vehicle card number, plate number, name of the company, driver, contact details of the company and pocket guides for tourists.

Drivers should not carry more than prescribed passengers for each vehicle and will be required to maintain a level of cleanliness both inside and outside the vehicle.

The companies will have to follow the design for taxis put forward by the ministry and the life span for each vehicle should be not more than five years old, with a possible twoyear extension following a technical inspection.