Muscat: A video clip showing a bus driver from the state-owned transport company using his mobile phone while driving a public bus has gone viral in Oman, creating an outcry about safety on public transport.
The driver in question had also failed to fasten a seat belt.
Mwasalat, Oman’s national transport company, issued a statement confirming that the man at the wheel is an employee at the company.
“The company takes responsibility for what happened and considers it an individual act, which does not represent other drivers at the company or as the company’s policies and operational measures,” said the statement.
The company added that it abides by all traffic safety procedures and ensures a thorough training routine for all its drivers.
The company affirmed that it imposed the maximum punishment on the driver as per its regulations taking into account the fact that he violated traffic regulations and put at risk the safety of passengers.
Moreover, the company called on members of the public to report any actions of employees likely to impact safety or performance via social media platforms.
Mawsalat maintained that the company will not tolerate any mistakes that put passengers at risk.
Mwasalat is a government-owned company founded in 1972 and a permanent member of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), and is the leading public transport company in Oman. The company was previously known as National Transport Company (NTC) but changed its name to Mwasalat in 2015.
Mwasalat, with a fleet of new double-decker buses, operates buses on routes connecting most of Muscat and also has daily trips to Sohar and Salalah provinces. The company transported more than 1.5 million passengers in the past seven months.
