Oman to appeal verdict of Mwasalat bus driver in Dubai crash

Oman will appeal the verdict against the Mwasalat bus driver who was involved in a crash that claimed 17 lives in Dubai last month, the country’s ambassador to the UAE has said.

Dubai’s Traffic Court had sentenced the Omani driver to seven years and AED 3.4 million (about OMR 356,000) in compensation towards the families of the victims. It also ordered the driver to be deported after the completion of his jail term, in addition to his licence being suspended for one year.

Dr Khalid bin Said bin Salim Al Jaradi, the Sultanate's Ambassador to UAE, told the Times of Oman: “We are going to appeal the verdict issued by Dubai Traffic court on Thursday against the Omani bus driver. The embassy is following up the case.”

He added: “Unfortunately, the judge didn’t respond to the embassy’s defence lawyer, which we have provided for the bus driver when he filed a series of requests, including the appointment of an expert to identify the specifications of the iron barrier to verify that it complies with the international standards on traffic safety.”

Last month, Public Prosecution Dubai sent the case to court demanding the Omani driver also pay AED 3.4 million in compensation to the families of the deceased, as well as the 13 people who were injured.

The Mwasalat bus ploughed straight through a steel barrier on June 6, during a scheduled journey between Muscat in Oman and Dubai in the UAE. The bus crashed on Mohammad Bin Zayed road in Dubai on June 6, 2019. The victims were from the Sultanate of Oman, India and Europe.


In a statement, Dubai Public Prosecution said: “Dubai Traffic Prosecution orders to refer the Omani driver to Dubai Traffic Court after he was charged with causing the death of 17 passengers and injuring 13 people with varying bodily injuries and damage due to the use of the vehicle as these are traffic offences.

“The prosecution shall seek to apply the penalties provided in the law against the driver, in accordance with the federal laws in force, penalties, traffic and blood money- as the penalty is imprisonment of seven years as well as fine, in addition to oblige him to pay a sum of AED 3,400,000 to the heirs of the deceased as a result of the incident.”