For those of us who have not learnt to drive, have learnt but don’t have much practise driving, can drive but have a fear of driving here (not uncommon), can drive but don’t own a second car or just simply don’t have the means or support to drive, it can be difficult to get around in Muscat. Basically, if you don’t drive here, things will be difficult.

I fall under most of the the above categories (don’t ask) so unsurprisingly, I had a difficult time adjusting when we first arrived here. Side note: comments such as “I could never stay at home all day the way you do” or “Why don’t you just get in the car and drive?” have not been helpful at all.

As much as I love DH, it can be quite challenging to rely on him, or anyone for that matter, to get from A to B all the time. For a while, I had [reluctantly] accepted this for myself, but when CB started becoming a wonderfully curious and inquisitive child, I realised I wanted to be able to take her places. I wanted to be like all the other mums. I wanted her to experience life in Muscat…just as others her age were.

So my first step was to – as I normally do – share my sob story on a Facebook page. I explained my situation and asked if anyone could advise with what my options were, if any. I know to some, especially those who are confident drivers, my predicament must have seemed ridiculous. But I also [now] know that to some it seemed completely understandable. To my surprise, I found that there were many others in the same position who could relate to me, struggling to get around, whether this was to complete the simplest of tasks or to fulfil their heart’s desire, all due a transport barrier.

I just want to pause here and say thank you again to those ladies who offered support and helpful suggestions – I genuinely appreciate it.

Growing up in one of the busiest cities in the world, as well as bring driven around by my family, using public transport had been such a natural way of life for me. Having studied urban planning too, this topic is all the more important to me. Yes, we all complain about “delays” on the underground and if buses arrive ever so slightly after they are scheduled. But, really, the truth is, public transport services in London are far better than most places. We have been spoilt, spoilt with options and seamless travel. And you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone.

In terms of public transport in Muscat, unfortunately there is no train network (yet). We do have a bus service available though, operated by Mwasalat, the national transport company of Oman. It’s great that this has been launched but I honestly can’t get my head around the practicalities of using buses here. I have noticed bus stops dotted around here and there but there is no easy way of crossing roads here, say if you needed to get to a bus stop on the other side. Muscat is not a walkable or pedestrian-friendly city at all (although there has been recent talks about making it so). You can either risk your life and make a run for it (as many people sadly do) or walk miles and miles until you find a pedestrian overpass, and then walk another couple of miles to reach your destination. In the heat, with a child? Somehow, I don’t think so.

I missed out on that whole part where my generation adopted Uber as a regular mode of transport. I have only used it a handful of times in other countries. So I was a bit apprehensive when people suggested using taxi services here because essentially, it would mean going into a stranger’s car. But based on good reviews, I decided to go for it and test out a reputed company.

I downloaded the OTaxi app and realised it worked pretty similarly to Uber. As do a lot of other apps, I know that now – I’m late to the party.

You set your location (pick up point) and a drop off point on the map. There is a fixed price which is shown and these prices seem very reasonable. For a 4 mile trip, it usually costs around 1.5omr (of course prices vary depending on time of day). The app calls available drivers in the area until your request is accepted. You are then shown a countdown of how long it will take for your driver to arrive along with the driver’s name, photo and car details.

The app follows the ride until you reach your destination. At the end of the journey the fixed price is shown again on the screen when you are prompted to pay the driver. I use cash for payment, but you can link your credit or debit card too. You can also rate the ride using a star system.

The first time I used this I was taken aback and pleasantly surprised. I underestimated how long it would take for the driver to arrive. I imagined it would take a while but it was a matter of minutes and I had to rush when leaving our apartment!

At the risk of sounding silly, I will say I felt empowered and liberated. That day, for the first time in Muscat, I had gotten from A to B by myself. Sure, I still had no job and few friends here, but I had overcome a massive hurdle. I have been using this app for over a year now, whenever CB and I feel like having a mumma and baby day out. Me being me, I always ensure I have data on my phone, send my husband screenshots of the driver and car details and keep him updated on our location.

In terms of the quality of the cars, I have found this is inconsistent and strikingly different each time. But it is good to see that the company is making progress. For example, I was thinking it would be useful to have the option of a large car (such as a 7 seater), as available on Uber, and it was great to see that recently the app had been updated to include this feature.

However, I have quickly come to understand that this new found empowerment comes with a few limitations.

To my knowledge, OTaxi cars cannot come to collect from five star hotels or shopping mall entrances (drop off only). The airport is completely out of the question. I learnt this the hard way when I stood there for ages in Oman Avenues Mall waiting for an OTaxi to take me home. There seemed to be no available drivers on the app, then I recalled something the driver on the journey there had mentioned about collection from the side exit of Lulu. So I tried from there but had no luck. Then, finally when standing at the far end of the car park, I managed to have my call accepted on the app and a driver arrived soon after. Luckily, I had not taken CB with me that day.

Other taxi services include:

• Mwasalat, Oman’s national transport company. We used this when coming home from the airport recently, and had a good experience. The fare was metered with a base rate of 2.5omr.
• Careem was not much of an experience in Muscat, since the one time I tried to use it it did not work but I have had positive experiences in Dubai. I have also heard that Careem taxis under Careem Kids provide car seats in the UAE – this is really convenient for parents and something we need in Oman.
• Marhaba Taxi, I have not had personal experience with, but I have heard these rides are more costly. This is paying more for quality though, as the cars do look very clean and sleek.

There is a grey area, worldwide, about the law regarding the use of car seats in taxis but I try to stick to using a car seat solely for the safety of my child. I don’t need to tell you the stats of using a car seat (properly) vs not using one, especially if you are a parent, but they do speak for themselves. I’m not going to lie, it is a struggle with the car seat and pushchair and wriggling toddler in the sling. It can get irritating in situations where the seat belt is jammed or not long enough or the driver sits there and watches you struggle to set up and put things in the boot and does nothing to help (thank you to those drivers who have helped on some occasions). But I can deal with it.

The problem is, CB will soon reach a weight where the car seat I currently use for taxis will no longer be suitable for her (13kg). I honestly don’t know what I will do then. The next stage car seats, like the one we have fitted in our car, do not have handles and are simply too heavy to move around. I have considered some portable car seats, such as the Urban Kanga, which would be useful for plane journeys too, but they can be quite pricey. I have to say I am really impressed by the Trunki Boostapak, an ingenious idea, but unfortunately this is for children who weigh 15kg+ and so it will not be suitable for CB until she is around 4 years old. So here’s hoping we will have access to a taxi service that provides car seats, like Careem Kids in Dubai, by the time she outgrows her current one.