MUSCAT: All orange and white taxis operating in Muscat will have meters by end of this year, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

With Mwasalat and Marhaba taxis already running on metered system, MoTC will implement the meters for orange and white taxis as part of a nationwide roll out.

In a statement to English daily Times of Oman, an MoTC official said as a first step, the meter system will be implemented on taxis in Muscat before it is extended towards other governorates in the country. “The first phase of implementation for meters for ‘orange [private] taxis’ is expected by the end of this year and will include Muscat as a first step,then move towards the rest of the governorates.”

Last year, the Ministry came out with taxi fares that include service charges.  customers will be charged 130 baisas per kilometre travelled, in addition to 300 baisas as service charge, which will be activated when customers sit in the taxi. However, if the fares are lower than OMR1, then a flat fare of OMR1 is applicable.

However, if the price on the meter is high, passengers may negotiate directly with the taxi driver and come to an agreement, thereby bypassing the meter price. 

There are currently about 36,000 orange taxis in Oman, with 20,000 of them operating in Muscat alone.