As part of its plans to develop and organize public transport, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has announced the activation of the ‘Aber’ digital meter application to determine the transportation tariff for public (orange and white) taxis in Oman.
Through the digital meter, the Ministry seeks to regulate activity of taxis in the country, and thereby preserve the rights of the beneficiary and the driver of the vehicle.
The ‘Aber’ app for the use of roaming taxi drivers calculates the distance and time traveled per trip and estimates the total cost of the trip. The application is also an alternative to the traditional counter for calculating the transportation tariff.
As per the set tariff, the transportation fare begins at 300 baizas, with the addition of 130 baizas per every kilometer; 50 baisas will be charged for each waiting minute after the lapse of five free minutes.
Taxi drivers can download the application via smartphones, whether on Android or iOS, or both. Public taxi drivers are obligated to activate the ‘Aber’ application when starting the trip. The Ministry stated that the transportation would be free if the driver does not turn it on.
In the event of multiple passengers, the fare shall be divided equally among them per trip.
This new service is in line with the Ministry’s plans to use modern digital technologies, and the implementation of the provisions of Ministerial Resolution No. 195/2018 issued on December 26, 2018, regarding transportation tariff for public taxis.
Source: https://www.thearabianstories.com/2023/04/30/oman-to-launch-digital-meter-system-for-public-taxis/