Muscat – Expansion of urban cities comes with many challenges, an important one being transportation and growing traffic congestion. Muscat has been grappling with traffic snarls in many areas. Which areas do you find most congested and what can be done immediately to alleviate traffic woes? Here’s what Muscat Daily readers said –

Vinnet Verma
Private sector employee
The best solution is more car pooling. This will reduce the number of vehicles on the roads. Muscat’s traffic congestion is a daily struggle for many residents, and one of the most congested areas is Al Khuwair. Immediate solutions can include creating alternative routes.

Mohammad Balushi
HR executive
The Seeb area in Muscat often has traffic jams. Other places include Al Khuwair and Ghubra. Authorities could invest in constructing more flyovers or underpasses, and promote remote working options to reduce rush hour traffic.

Jay Prakash
Private sector employee
There are many ways through which traffic problems can be tackled. During peak time, traffic management teams need to monitor traffic and create diversion where it is heavy. Another option is to have car pooling to reduce the number of cars on the road, which is also good for the environment.

Ishmam Islam
Student
Al Mouj roundabout has the worst traffic during peak hours. Building a bridge over it may reduce the intersecting points for traffic in all three directions.

Taher Sher
Private sector employee
Al Sarooj area is where one can always find traffic and the reason for this is everyone is changing lane from third to first and second to first. I have observed this very carefully.

Khalid Sultan
Driver
Muttrah is notorious for traffic jams. A quick remedy could be enforcing strict traffic regulations and introducing incentives for off-peak travel to ease bottlenecks in this historic part of the city. Also there must be more basement parking facilities.

Shaikh Shafiullah
Private sector employee
I feel the traffic congestion in Mabela is the worst in the city. One solution can be by making it one-way. It will be ease traffic..

Wad Nasser said al Alawi
Intern
The Mawaleh traffics lights – between Al Bahja and Muscat City Centre to the main road – is horrible. It literally takes an entire hour to cross this point. The roundabout in front of the Zanzibari restaurant in North Al Hail is also very bad.

Floyd Joel D’mello
Muscat International Airport staff
The road from the airport to Al Mouj desperately needs a third lane, and Al Mouj roundabout needs to go. We need a four-way signal system there.

Khalid Amin
Electrical engineer
The roundabout adjacent to Makkah Hypermarket in Amerat is very congested. You will find this spot busy all the time. A flyover in this area will prevent traffic jams and accidents.

Syed Sohail
Private sector employee
There should be multiple transportation options available to reduce traffic, such as buses and taxis. Another option that could be considered is a metro system. The introduction of a metro service would greatly benefit Oman by boosting tourism and helping to alleviate traffic congestion.

Zeenath Chowdhury
Student
Make more roads. Put signals where there are none. Please put a speed breaker in Hamriya opposite Muscat Pharmacy. I have been living here since my childhood. There are too many accidents.

Haya Aljeto
Private sector employee
Sahwa Roundabout is a monumental roundabout but it is time to turn into a more functional diversion road. Make it an intersection like Qurum and develop a flyover linking Sultan Qaboos road to go to Nizwa so private cars have the option of a direct route.

Maanoj Agarwala
General manager
Al Khuwair has the heaviest traffic. Immediate solutions include one-way roads/bylanes aligned to peak hours, flexible office hours spread over different times, preventing parking on roads which reduce area, encouraging car pooling, encouraging use of public transport and encouraging work from home, at least 2-3 days a week..

Kumar Selvi
Homemaker
Al Khuwair – near Radisson Blu and Al Khuwair Square – is really congested. Proper arrangements can be made by installing signals.