Using Taxes to Address Traffic Safety Problems in Oman
Taxes are policy instruments used by governments on its people to induce behavior and not command it. Taxes involve a certain amount of money which is paid to governments by the public. A variety of institutions also levy taxes on their members who in return enjoy various services from the institutions.
Taxes are employed by governments as a way of obtaining certain amount of money from the public which is then used for improving various sectors which will bring benefits for everyone. Taxes can be of various types depending on whom they are imposed on.
According David and Vining (86) tax instrument in form of user fees can be a proper way of addressing traffic security issues. Oman is a country which has met high number of traffic accidents for the last two decades (Abulbasher et al.,175). If this form of tax is properly applied it can generate money for the government which can be used to address traffic problems and eventually reduce the number of accidents in the country.
According to David and Vining (78) one defines a problem first before formulating a specific government policy to deal with the particular problem. Traffic accidents are matters of concern for Oman and the government should come up with right policy measures to reduce the number of traffic problems which are increasing in Oman at an alarming rate.
User fees can be the most appropriate tax instrument for Oman because these taxes can generate money which can be used by Oman government to come up with ways of reducing congestion on roads or development of better packing areas in towns and eventually reducing the number of accidents.
It has been reported that the number people owning cars, buses or any other form of vehicle on Oman increases day-by-day (Abulbasher et al., 181). Roads are damaged while others have potholes.
So coming up with a tax instruments can be one move to generate money for the government which will be allocated in the transport sector to deal with matters of traffic security like improvement of existing roads.The country needs a way of reducing the number of traffic accidents and hence this justifies why imposing of tax on drivers as one alternative way of dealing with traffic issues.
Government may be lacking the necessary resources to deal with traffic problems.By imposing tax on road users, the government will increase its revenue and eventually take necessary steps to improve road safety through various means such as development of better roads since poorly constructed roads and
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damaged roads are responsible for most of roads accidents. Since the rate of population increase in Oman is high and the number of road users is increasing, the problem of poor infrastructure needs to be addressed properly.
In the process of policy formulation and analysis, the government of Oman should consider imposing taxes on road users in form of user fees.This move will generate extra resources for the government to address matters of traffic security.
Money generated from this tax will be used in infrastructure improvement generally. In addition to construction of better highways, flyovers, underpasses and tunnels, wide pavements for pedestrians should also be constructed. Roads should be equipped with an efficient traffic monitoring system.
Pavement lights are essential particularly at night because they reduce chance of thefts and hijackings and if installed they can be very helpful to pedestrians and other road users.
With enough resources, governments can choose to provide more packing areas for the people of Oman in urban areas. As a result, traffic jam will be reduced, movement of vehicles from one place to another will improve and accidents on roads will be reduced with a well maintained road environment.
Using Rules to Address Traffic Safety Problems in Oman
Rules are legal frameworks formulated by governments of other institutions which should be obeyed by a certain group of people. Rules in form of indirect information provision according to David and vining (87) can be the most proper rules when it comes to restricting certain type of people from offering specific service and allowing only specific trained people to offer a given service.
Indirect information provision rule can be employed on drivers to make sure that only trained people are on the road since drivers are responsible for most accidents in Oman (Abulbasher et al., 183).
The reason the government should impose this rule is because most drivers are negligence and this makes them to cause a lot of accidents. As a result specific rules should be enforced to road users particularly on drivers. The rule should dictate well the least age one is supposed to have to be allowed to drive.
Road users include car drivers, motorists and bicyclists. In Oman the level of young vulnerable drivers on the roads is high and is associated with increased accidents. Very old people should not be allowed to drive because they are likely to cause accidents. The rule should join some aspects of over speeding, safety belt violation and use of old and damaged cars in roads which should and it should forbid people from driving while drunk.
If this rule is properly enforced on drivers of Oman, then it will cut the number of accidents due to reckless driving by far. Only trained and experienced people will drive and no young people will be allowed on roads. Drivers ranging in16-25 age group are considered young and are likely to cause accidents and hence the rule can forbid them from driving. Drivers will use safety belts all the time, they will not over speed since
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Traffic patrols will be always there to monitor.Alcohol content of drivers will be checked using breathalyzer to make sure that they abide by the law. Those found violating such a rule should be arrested and subjected to various fines depending on the gravity of their mistakes. Rules should be very clear to the drivers who would have no option than to abide by them.
It has been reported that disregard to traffic laws is a major cause of fatality in Oman (Abulbasher et al., 181). In my opinion imposing this rule on drivers of Oman will enormously reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety in Oman. Drivers are responsible for most accident in Oman and imposing a rule that will limit their operations on road and this will be very beneficial.
Regular vehicle checking is important to make sure cars, buses, motorcycles are insured. Apart from reckless driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol, use of mobile phones while driving can also cause accidents.
It almost impossible to enforce laws which will ban people from using phones while driving and it is therefore the responsibility of drivers to be careful during their operations. Drivers should also make sure that their cars are in proper working conditions.
This proves that although rules can be imposed on road users and in the process lead to reduction of traffic accidents, improved traffic safety is only possible when road users take the matter in their own hands.
Using Government Provision to Address Traffic Safety Problems in Oman
The government provides a lot of services to the average person. Government provision is one policy instruments which can solve a lot of issues on to traffic safety. The government can offer a lot of provisions in trying to improve road safety. One of the most important provisions a government can offer to improve traffic safety is the provision traffic education and important traffic information to the public.
This can occur through various means such through television, posters, government press, roadsides posters, and issuance of leaflets by the government to the people and government exhibitions. This information may be about use new traffic control system, information about weather in various parts of the country.
Most pedestrians are unaware of ways of avoiding accidents and are oblivious of the dangers they are expose themselves to when they walk along highways while others are not keen when crossing roads and end up causing accidents (Abulbasher et al., 179).
Provision of education by the government is helpful to both the pedestrians and other road users.Pedestrians should be encouraged to use flyovers and other pathways specifically designed for them to keep them safe on the roads.
Provision of these services by the government will help reduce accidents particularly those which involving pedestrians. With this information drivers will be able to know which roads to take in case of accidents or bad weather. They will know about
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Weather and be aware of hostile environments which are prone to thunderstorms and fog to avoid touring those areas. Governments through social media will alert the public of areas with road blocks or damaged roads and bridges for the public safety. Provision of education by the government to the public to address matters of traffic security can be an effective measure of reducing accidents Oman.
Road user knowledge is very essential as many people don’t interpret correctly the meaning of various road signs and markings. Governments should encourage various institutions to provide basic knowledge on road safety if it needs to improve traffic safety and cut the number of accidents on the roads.
The government should always remind users of the dangers of reckless driving and over speeding since these are the main causes of problems in Oman and in most countries. Simple knowledge of interpreting various road signs is very essential and can give a lot in reduction of accidents and ensuring public safety (Mrudu 24). With this knowledge people will be able to avoid accidents.
Governments should always encourage the public to take part in defensive driving to better their driving skills. Traffic safety should be a matter of concern for everyone because to increase traffic safety governments and the public should work hand in hand.
All in all, the government will play the bigger role of ensuring traffic safety in Oman. It has the right to investigate traffic problems deeply, and then come up with new effective policies to deal with traffic problems.
Apart from provision of better education on traffic safety to the public, it should make sure that the road environment is conducive for all types of road users and with that traffic accidents in Oman will be reduced very much.
Works Cited
Abulbasher, Shahalam, Ali Galal, Charles Bakheit, and EmadFadhel. “Factor Analysis: Traffic Accidents and Potential Causes – A Case Study in Oman.” National Engineering Conference on Roads, (2011).175-190. Print.
David, Weimer L. and Aidan Vining R. Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice. Upper. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (2005). Print.
Mrudu, Naik. “Stricter Penalties Need of the Hour.” Times of Oman, (2010). Web. <https://timesofoman.com/>.