Bus carrying Nizwa University students involved in collision, 7 injured

Nizwa: A bus carrying female students from the University of Nizwa collided with another bus and a truck Wednesday morning, leaving seven people injured.
Six students were injured, along with the driver. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) said the injuries ranged from light to severe. According to the police, the accident took place at 7:55 am, while the students were heading to university.
Nizwa Hospital reported that four students had suffered moderate injuries, while two had sustained severe injuries. They have been sedated and are under the hospital’s care. One other student was treated for minor injuries and discharged. The injuries included concussion, trauma and broken bones.
This is the second accident in the space of a month on the same stretch of a single-carriageway road in Nizwa. In February, a bus carrying 24 students from the same university had collided with a truck, leaving several students injured.
Hamdan Nasser Al Rumaidhi, member of the Shura Council representing Nizwa, said there is a lot of activity on the road as it connects Nizwa, Birkat Al Moz and Jebel Akhdar, in addition to several government offices and colleges being located along the route.
“This road is very active as it connects three main areas in the governorate, as well as colleges and government offices alongside it. The road has been this way since the 70’s, with no changes or improvements having been made to it. We ask for some action to develop this road,” said Al Rumaidhi.
He added that there is a lot of congestion on the road, and one can easily get stuck in a traffic jam for an hour. When asked how the accidents occurred if there is a traffic jam every morning, he explained, “There comes a point in the road where almost everyone hits the gas pedal as it is a straight road, away from the activity; that’s where the accidents occur.”
“The student dorms are five to six kilometres away from the university campus and the driver has two options; either takes the dual-carriageway road, which is safer but takes longer to reach the destination, or the single-carriageway road, which is dangerous but faster and naturally people want to reach their destinations sooner than later,” added Al Rumaidhi.
“These students are away from their homes and their parents have a vision of their children getting the best education for a better future, only to find that there are hurt or worse, dead. I advise these drivers to think about the students’ lives and transport them diligently,” said Al Rumaidhi.
ROP also advised drivers to follow traffic laws and drive responsibly as peoples’ lives are at risk at the hands of negligent drivers.