Sunday 05 / October / 2025
Muscat: Initial survey results from the Muscat Area Traffic Study 2025 conducted by Muscat Municipality indicate that 97% of daily trips in the Governorate are made using private cars, and nearly 71.9% of these are single-occupant journeys, highlighting the high rate of solo travel among citizens and expats living in Oman.
In a new awareness campaign aimed at reducing traffic congestion and promoting sustainable transport, Muscat Municipality has called on people to adopt carpooling as a daily practice.
Under the slogan “Create the change.. carpool today!”, the campaign draws attention to alarming statistics showing that the vast majority of trips in the capital are made by single-occupant vehicles.
According to the municipality’s data, 71.9% of total trips involve only one passenger per vehicle, while 15.9% have two passengers, and fewer than 5% involve three or more occupants.
Officials noted that increasing the rate of carpooling could significantly reduce traffic congestion during peak hours, lower carbon emissions, and make commuting more efficient and affordable.
The initiative forms part of Muscat Municipality’s broader efforts to promote environmentally friendly transport options and support the Sultanate’s sustainability goals. The campaign encourages citizens, residents, and companies to coordinate shared rides for work, school, and daily commutes.
“Every carpool trip makes a difference,” the municipality emphasised, noting that reducing single-occupant vehicle use is a simple yet impactful step toward a cleaner and less congested Muscat.
Registered vehicles
rise by 5.5%
The total number of registered vehicles in the Sultanate of Oman increased by 5.5% by the end of June 2025, reaching 1,798,062 vehicles compared to June of the previous year. According to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information, private vehicles accounted for the largest share of registered vehicles in Oman, making up 79.3% with a total of 1,425,308 vehicles.
Commercial vehicles followed at 14.7% with 264,913 vehicles, while rental vehicles constituted 2.3% with 41,386 vehicles. The remaining percentages were distributed among taxis, government vehicles, and others.
In terms of colors, white vehicles topped the list of the most registered colors at 42.3%, totaling 761,358 vehicles. Silver came next at 12.9% with 231,822 vehicles, followed by gray vehicles at 181,140.
