Muscat – The Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, H E Said bin Hamoud al Ma’awali, has clarified that road toll systems will not be implemented on existing passenger vehicular routes.

Addressing a query in Majlis A’Shura on Sunday, H E Ma’awali said, “No toll will be levied on the existing routes for passenger traffic and in the event that no alternative routes are found for trucks, fees will be charged by mutual consent and agreements. Alternative roads for trucks will not cause any financial burden on citizens. The focus will be on trucks only.”

H E Ma’awali said that work is underway to renovate and maintain roads in various regions of the country. “The Roads Maintenance Law is going through several stages of evaluation. Its promulgation will take some time,” he said.

Addressing the subject of road development projects, H E Ma’awali said, “There is a backlog. Many projects have been postponed since 2016 due to the financial situation. Projects are being implemented currently according to national priorities.”

He described the response to the Empty Quarter Road connecting the sultanate to Saudi Arabia as favourable. Work is underway on projects that will come up on the road.

According H E Ma’awali, the ministry is supervising a number of national projects that contribute to diversifying sources of income and achieving sustainable development in various economic, industrial, commercial and tourism sectors.

He noted that in the last few years, the transport sector – ports and maritime affairs, roads and land transport – saw the establishment of several commercial and industrial land ports and seaports. The government paid keen attention to ports for the role these play in developing the economy.

On investments and foreign partnerships, he stressed the role of the private sector in investments required to develop and modernise existing seaports and others proposed to be established through concession contracts and effective marketing programmes.

H E Ma’awali informed that several investment initiatives between the sultanate and Saudi Arabia are under development through which Oman will benefit from the Saudi experience and vice versa.

The ministry is also working on developing strategic plans to activate maritime administration.