THIS IS DRIVING ME NUTS, shouted a colleague while we were trying to dock near Bank Muscat headquarters in the Central Business District area recently. It was around 12 noon. There simply was no parking space for love or money. We would have done at least three rounds between Supa Save and Oman Chamber of Commerce looking for you-know-what and an elderly gentleman came to our rescue as he decided to move out of the area perhaps after completing his business. A special prayer was sent out in the direction of Heaven for saving our souls. We were already late by 15 minutes for our pre-arranged meeting. We ran almost like half marathon runners. Luckily, the light breeze helped us to keep our cool. Thank God, it was not May, June or July? You are getting the drift?

It is no secret that the vehicular traffic has multiplied several fold over the past three years, but the volume of parking space has not kept pace. Result: traffic snarls and frayed tempers. Of course, the issue has not ballooned into something as life-disturbing as what obtains in Dubai or Sharjah. The meeting joint may be away at a decent 15 minutes driving distance under normal conditions. But, as we all know, normal conditions exist only on paper.

Factor in at least 30 extra minutes for on-road experience and an additional – yes, extra 30 minutes for finding a parking space near the meeting venue. Treat every appointment as if you are rushing to catch the flight! You can't afford to be late. If you are late, the flight will take off with or without you.
In a way, the government decision to give a month gap between two tests for procuring driving license is the right move. To that extent, the weekly deluge of fresh licenses and the resultant new cars on the already-crowded roads and the silent battle for parking slot is avoided.

The parking lot drama reminds me of my experience in Bahrain last year. Our vehicles have to be parked half a kilometer away from office if we reach late even by 10 minutes in the Diplomatic Area. Though there are several multi-level parking buildings in the crowded business district, finding an empty slot is a tough call. Even if you are lucky enough to find one, the parking tariff were stiff. Were you in sales demanding frequent potential customer calls on a daily basis, you had it. Park, pay, park and pay. The cycle is endless and a big chunk of paycheck will be spent on docking fee alone!

The parking challenge is unlikely to vanish because owning a car is a necessity in a place like Muscat where there is no Mass Rapid Transport System. There is no public transport to ferry passengers from say, Rusayl to Ruwi via Seeb, Azaibah, Ghubra, Al Khuwair, MSQ, Qurum, Hamriya etc. Honestly, many might not take out their cars from garage if big public transport buses are available. Who wants to drive bumper to bumper? Three years ago, the ride from Seeb to Ruwi used to take 30 maximum even during peak hours. Try out now and let me hear your record!

THIS column originally appeared in OMAN TRIBUNE, 21 January 2009