Assessment of the public's perceptions about the transport services in Oman

The transport sector is having a great attention from governments around the world, especially because of the increasing population, its importance and its necessity for community life. Recently, many countries in the Middle East have turned their attention towards developing and improving their public transport systems, as problems such as traffic congestions in cities, low mobility and high individual costs of transport. This study aims to assess and understand the public’s perception about the situation of the existing transport services in the Sultanate of Oman and indentifies the reasons or ways to boost this sector. The findings of this study showed a positive response from the citizens about public transport and its use. The unavailability of suitable modes of public transport options, their inadequacy in terms of numbers and frequency, and the low level of people’s exposure and awareness of different transport modes have constrained people to use personal vehicles. There is a growing need to introduce newer public transport services in Oman and bolster these services as well as the existing infrastructure to stimulate economic development, increase road safety, and to combat environmental problems. It is recommended to develop innovative solutions and awareness programs to increase individual and collective consciousness about public transport and to encourage people to adopt and use public transport.