Marhaba Taxis to hit roads in March, fares to start at OMR3.5

MUSCAT: Fares for Marhaba Taxis, set to hit the roads by March this year, will begin from OMR3.5 for the first 5 km, according to Ingenuity Technologies LLC, one of two firms granted a licence to operate ‘metered’ taxis in Oman.

Ingenuity Technologies LLC has obtained the licence to run taxis at the Sultan Qaboos Port, hotels and will also provide oncall taxi services.

“Marhaba Taxis can be booked using a mobile app or by calling the call centre where the passengers will have to pay OMR3.5 for the first 5 km. And after the first 5 km, the passengers will have to pay 500 baisas per kilometre,” Yousuf Al Hooti, Project Manager of Marhaba Taxi, said.

200 taxis

He added that around 200 taxis will be ready in Muscat by next month. “We are planning to launch in February/March this year,” he said, adding that the taxis are currently being painted.

Customers can download a free application via mobile and request a taxi.

“Alternatively the customer can book the taxi by calling the call centre and then entering the destination. The information of this request will be sent to all the taxis under this service that are around that area allowing them to accept if they are ready for taking next customer.

“When the taxi driver accepts the request the information of the driver, expected arrival time, vehicle details and how much they will have to pay will be sent to the customer,” officials said, adding that customers can pay via cash or cards to the drivers.

Al Hooti thanked the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Tour- ism, Royal Oman Police and Muscat Municipality for their support.

“Since this is happening for the first time, we are seeking cooperation from everybody who lives and works in Oman,” he said.

He also said these taxis are initially targeting the tourism sector and will cater to the demands of tourists visiting the country.

Premium taxi service

“The concept of the service is to provide an easy, secure and premium taxi service to tourists visiting Oman and help promote the tourism development of the country, but anybody in the Sultanate of Oman can use our services as well,” he said, adding that they will not be able to pick up passengers from the airport but can drop them off.

Mwasalat, the national bus operator, was awarded the second licence and will operate taxis from the airport.

He also said taxi drivers who are registered with ports and hotels have been roped into the project. “We are now training them for this purpose,” he said.

Officials claimed that this new taxi service will not only benefit passengers but will also help the local Omani drivers.

“We will give mobile phones to all our drivers with internet packages so that they can be booked anytime,” he said.