Oman travel: Local cabs come to the rescue of passengers from UAE

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Oman residents visiting Dubai and business travellers who visit the Sultanate on a frequent basis are finding it very difficult to travel due to the unavailability of the bus ticket, so they rely on local Oman cabs to return for a price tag of Dh200.

The new rules — which discontinued the option for visit visa holders to extend their visas within the country — came into effect on Tuesday. However, travel experts say it applies only in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

However, many travel executives have also introduced extra buses and packages to facilitate easy visa change. “But still the tickets are unavailable and the next bus is available on Monday as visa-issuing authorities are closed for the next two days,” said Hameed Alam, a Sharjah resident who was hiring a local Omani cab from Dnata.

Aoun Raza, a businessman who travels to Muscat frequently, desperately needed to reach Muscat before tonight. “I tried my luck with an airline ticket and it was highly-priced. The travel operator, Khanjary Travels, is full to its capacity. I had to rely on the local taxi by paying a little extra,”

Raza had been postponing his travel for the last two days hoping to find a seat on the bus. “The demand for bus reservations kept increasing which got me worrying. So, finally, I have come here with my bag to travel,” said Raza mentioning that it has become a concern for business travellers.

Omani residents who arrived in UAE for family, business, or leisure visits are also facing difficulty in returning due to the unavailability of tickets and have to depend on local Oman cabs. “I arrived a few days ago to change my visa as I have secured a job in Oman. My joining date is tomorrow, and I must reach. So I hired a cab for myself,” said Shurook Mustafa, an Egyptian expat, residing in Oman.

“I did not know about the new visa rule. When I inquired about the unavailability of tickets, the ticketing agent brought it to light. My brother was ready to pick me up from Dubai if the cab wasn’t available,” added Mustafa.

Another Omani resident, Manoj Korambeth, was in Dubai on a business trip. “This is the first time I couldn’t get a ticket for my return. The only option remaining for me was to hire the local Omani cab for my return,” said Korambeth.