Saturday 20 / April / 2024
MUSCAT: Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) is encouraging people to report negative behaviour by airport taxi drivers after several accounts emerged of reckless driving and bad customer service.
Speeding, overtaking, not using signals and tailgating are all signs of someone who is reckless or trying to get somewhere in record time, which is the most common recipe for disaster on Oman’s roads.
Safety experts have repeatedly advised driving safely, and civil service authorities have also issued a guidance about traffic safety.
Some airport taxi drivers have earned the reputation of being quite reckless while transporting passengers from the airport to their destination, or returning to the airport after they have been paid their fare.
“The taxis, whether from the airport or not, are reckless. Granted some follow the law, but most don’t. It seems their motto is ‘more rides, more cash’ so they have to speed, overtake and drive recklessly,” said Khalid, an Omani national.
Some people become anxious when they see an airport taxi in close proximity to their vehicle. An Omani national, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “I always get nervous when I see an airport taxi. My attention tends to focus on the airport taxi because they sometimes drive unpredictably.”
“Once I saw a taxi crossing from the far right lane to the far left lane without using signals and it was also speeding. I usually drive around 130km per hour on the highway from Athaiba heading to Seeb, but somehow even then I’m too slow for the airport taxis,” he added.
Some drivers use strange driving methods.
“I feared for my life. The driver had his seat inclined far back, had one hand on the wheel and the other leaning on the middle arm rest like he was resting in a lounge chair. He could hardly see over the dashboard,” said Katrina Gifford Studd, a resident.
“From the second we left the airport he did not use his indicator once, he used excessive speed and darted in and out of traffic and tailgated. I was so glad to arrive at the other end in one piece,” she added.
Negative behaviour
The Times of Oman contacted OAMC to get a comment on the issue, following which the management said, “We would like to request the public to inform us of any negative behaviour one may notice from one of our airport taxi drivers.”
The statement added, “We take complaints from the public just as seriously as those that we get from our customers and we will take any corrective measures necessary.”
They also said that all complaints should include the number plate of the airport taxi in question in order for any action to take place.
Customer service
Some taxi drivers unfortunately do not have any customer service experience and some passengers are intimidated and shocked after such treatment.
An expatriate shared his experience: “The last time I used the airport taxi, we were a group of three. I was going to be dropped off on the side of the highway near the Grand Mosque, while the other two passengers were going on to MQ. We got in an argument with our driver about the high prices, and so he was angry with us. He then refused to let me out of the car, saying that he would take us all to MQ. I told him to stop several times, and he refused and kept driving further past my stop. So I raised my voice, demanding that he stop the car,” said Tyler Shaneaman.
“He shook his fist in my face saying that he would punch me if I raised my voice again. I told him that if he punched me, I’d call the police, but he laughed at me saying the police were his friends and they won’t help me (I’m American). So I lowered my voice and told him again to stop, and he finally did, far past my stop.
“I got out and walked home in the middle of the night with my luggage. He dropped off my friends at MQ and they paid the price he demanded as they were afraid of him by that point. Ever since then, when I want a ride home from the airport, I ask friends to come and get me, or I walk my luggage to the highway and get a taxi there. The last taxi driver I came in contact with from the highway across from the airport was so nice that he refused to let me pay because he liked that I spoke Arabic. What a world of difference,” he added.
OAMC responded by saying, “The safety of our customers has and will always be a top priority for OAMC. Considering that we manage the Airport Taxi Service, we carry over this ideology with the aim of providing a safe and secure transport service to all our passengers.”
“As a safety measure we include key contact information on all receipts issued to customers when they avail of the service. This information includes the Airport Taxi counter telephone number (24341297), and the Airport Taxi e-mail address ([email protected]),” OAMC added.
Members of the public are encouraged to send their feedback and complaints to OAMC in order for them to serve their customers better in the future.
