The long road drives to Salalah in Dhofar Governorate continue to be accident-prone in spite of the stringent measures adopted by the Royal Oman Police (ROP).
While various airlines have added capacity to Salalah this season, travel by road continues to be the preferred option as an attempt to beat the airfares and for the sake of flexibility in moving around the governorate in one’s own vehicles.
According to sources, many private vehicles pass through the popular Oman-UAE Hatta border daily towards Dhofar from the neighbouring country.
Tourists are also travelling from Saudi Arabia to the Dhofar Governorate following the opening of the direct road link between the two countries late last year, though the numbers are significantly less compared to those travelling from the UAE. As fatigue set to be a serious factor on this long stretch, accidents continue to take place on this road at regular intervals.
The Directorate General of Health Services in Al Wusta Governorate on Sunday reported that the emergency department at Haima Hospital received six patients following a road accident in the wee hours. Of these three were critically injured, while two others suffered minor injuries.
Only July 26, seven people were injured in a road accident that took place in the same region. On July 20, one person died, and five others of an Asian nationality were injured after the tyres of their vehicle burst on Adam-Thamrait road.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has deployed special checkpoints and patrol teams on the roads leading to Dhofar Governorate.
Col Faisal bin Salim al Hajri said: “We have enhanced police presence on the densely populated areas on the roads leading to Salalah on Adam-Thamrait road. Air ambulances have been placed at Haima to help take patients to hospitals in the event of any emergencies.”
Not minding the resources required for the deployment of such a scale, ROP has said that no efforts will be spared to save human lives.
Not ignoring the accidents which continue to be reported, Col Al Hajri said road accidents, however, have decreased compared to the past years due to an increase in police patrols on the highways.
Col Al Hajri said: “We have noticed that while travellers are aware of precautionary measures to be taken on the roads, they still need to be wary of the natural desert climate conditions such as low visibility, strong winds, accumulation of sand on roads.”
He added, “Most accidents are not only due to negligence, but also due to lack of preparatory measures such as vehicle maintenance, fuel checks, and ignorance of fatigue among drivers.”
ROP has advised all visitors to Dhofar to follow traffic laws and regulations and ensure that they drive within the speed limits to ensure their safety and that of others, and to pay attention to presence of stray animals, especially at night, and sands that may accumulate on roads near desert areas.
Citizens and tourists heading to Dhofar Governorate can request service and assistance by calling the emergency phone (9999) or directly contacting the police personnel at checkpoints.
