Amman-Zarqa BRT to serve 4,200 passengers at peak hours — Shbeeb

AMMAN — Around 4,200 passengers are expected to benefit from the Amman-Zarqa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) during peak hours when the project is completed, Transport Minister Lina Shbeeb said on Saturday. 

Shbeeb said the tender for the project is expected to be floated by the end of this year, adding that the scheme is expected to take at least three years until completion. 

“The project will be implemented by several parties as a number of contractors will work on it; this is why it will take three years,” she told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Shbeeb noted that the buses are expected to take up to 120,000 passengers daily, adding that around 100,000 people travel from Amman to Zarqa, 22km east of the capital, and vice versa on weekdays.

The JD110-million project will provide passengers with a bus every 70 seconds during peak hours and each trip will take 23 minutes, according to the minister. 

“We have not decided on the bus fare but we will definitely set an affordable fee for Jordanians,” the minister added, highlighting the project’s benefits.

“It will ensure public safety and protect the environment. Additionally, energy consumption will drop and there will be fewer traffic jams,” she added. 

Shbeeb said Jordanians will need time to get used to the new service and stop using their own vehicles. 

The project will link the Mahatta area in Amman and the inner bus complex in Zarqa.