Muscat: Oman aims to have 200 women taxi drivers operating on the country’s roads within a year, to provide a mode of transport exclusively for women and families.

Taxicab service Otaxi currently runs about 20 women-only cabs, after being given the green light to operate the special service in January 2022. The initiative has been rolled out on a trial basis in Muscat, and taxis that are part of the scheme are recognisable by their iconic pink and white paint job.

“We aim to have a fleet of 50 cars driven by women within the next three months, and 200 female drivers within a year,” said Eng. Harith Al Meqbali, CEO of Otaxi. “Currently, our services are only limited to Muscat, but one of our plans is to expand to the other governorates in the near future. The service is also exclusively available only to women and families.

“We aim to provide a service that is fast, affordable and accessible to our customers,” he added. “The women-driven taxis do have some additional security features, including a system for tracking and monitoring the routes they take, and prices that are fixed and agreed-upon with the customer before their trip begins, ensuring additional security and safety for them.”