Amman, Sept. 20 (Petra) -- The Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) has approved a broad expansion of public transport services, including fare support for 414 university students, upgraded airport buses and additional routes serving universities, hospitals and underserved communities across the Kingdom.
The package also expands international bus services with Syria and requires wider use of electronic tracking and intelligent transport systems as part of efforts to modernize the fleet and improve service oversight.
The measures were approved by the LTRC board at a meeting chaired by Transport Minister and Board Chairman Nidal Qatamin, with LTRC Director General Riyadh Kharabsheh and board members attending.
Under the decisions, around 414 students from the Southern Jordan Valley studying at Mutah University, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University and Tafila Technical University will receive public transport fare support at an estimated annual cost of JD156,000.
Five vehicles will operate across three routes under the program and will be connected to the intelligent transport system to monitor operations and ensure the subsidies reach eligible students.
The board also approved licensing and permit rules for passenger services to areas currently lacking public transport. Routes will be prioritized using a geospatial study conducted by the commission to identify communities with the greatest transport needs.
On the North Terminal-Queen Alia International Airport route, the board renewed the operating contract for 10 years on condition that six buses manufactured in 2025 or later be introduced. The new buses must be accessible to persons with disabilities, while the existing fleet will be withdrawn from service.
University services will also be expanded. Four medium-sized buses will be added to the Irbid-Anjara route, which will be extended to serve Al-Balqa Applied University’s Ajloun campus.
Another bus will be reassigned to the Ajloun-Princess Haya Military Hospital route, while the Kufair-Jerash service will receive an additional medium-sized bus.
The board also approved a new JETT service for Yarmouk University students, with three buses operating from the company’s Seventh Circle offices to the university’s new buildings.
In Mafraq and Tafila, approvals include a medium-sized bus for communities in the Northern Badia District and another for the Hasa-Qatraneh route, alongside measures to reorganize services in Mafraq, Umm Al-Nam Al-Gharbi and Manshiyet Bani Hassan.
Two services in Zarqa will be consolidated into a single "Zarqa-Kamsha and Suburbs" route, with its itinerary and fares adjusted according to travel distance. Transport services linking Mushairfeh, Prince Hashem Housing and the Bus Rapid Transit station at Pepsi Bridge will also be reorganized.
The Southern Shouneh-Karameh route will be restructured to include Southern Shouneh Hospital, the government departments complex, New Shouneh and surrounding communities. A company will be established to organize operations on the route under passenger transport legislation.
International transport will also be expanded, with the board approving 18 buses for the Jordan-Syria route and five additional buses for the Amman-Syria service. The buses will be equipped with electronic tracking systems.
Al-Nashama International Transport Company’s operating contract was extended for three years, subject to the installation of tracking devices across its fleet.
In a separate infrastructure measure, the board approved a draft agreement with the Vocational Training Corporation to manufacture and install metal passenger shelters along public transport routes across the Kingdom.
The Queen Alia International Airport taxi fleet will also receive 20 modern passenger vehicles operated by the Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans, while preliminary approval was granted to 22 applications to operate luxury vehicle offices and companies.
The commission said service expansion will be coupled with fleet modernization, tracking technology, intelligent transport systems and clearly defined operating contracts to improve efficiency and strengthen oversight of public transport services.
//Petra// RZ
