Traffic police officers break their fast ‘on the road’

AMMAN — For traffic officers Mohammad Nimer and Salah Mahmoud, directing traffic and breaking their fast on Amman streets is a national duty and joyful event.

Both traffic officers are stationed on one of the busiest intersections in Amman, the Interior Ministry Circle, from 1pm to 1am.

“I love my duty here because it makes me feel like I am among friends and family,” Nimer told The Jordan Times earlier this week.

“I break my fast here on the circle when it is my shift and the police department provides us with a full iftar meal,” he added, while blowing his whistle to allow traffic from Jabal Hussein to pass.

“It is an honour for me to be serving my country and my family of Jordanians even if this means having iftar here,” he said.

Mahmoud, who was on the other side of the intersection, also said that he breaks his fast either on the circle or at the traffic department.

“I am proud to be serving my country and motorists at all times, including Ramadan,” he said.

If they are not on duty during Ramadan, both officers, who are 23 years old, said they would be having iftar with their families.

Other traffic officers distribute dates and water to motorists at iftar time, said Lt. Col. Muawiah Rababaa, director of the Central Traffic Department’s (CTD) public relations team.

“We know that some people may have to run errands during iftar time in the evening or that others may be late to catch up with family and friends, so we have officers deployed in various points distributing dates and water to motorists,” Rababaa told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

The traffic official said the department had prepared plans for both Ramadan and the Eid Al Fitr holiday, which begins next Monday and continues through Thursday.

“We have some busy times during Ramadan and the Eid holiday, so we increased the number of traffic officers on the streets of Amman to enforce the law,” Rababaa said.

There are around 3,000 traffic officers and 100 secret traffic police officers serving at the CTD, according to Rababaa.

“A high number of our traffic officers serve in the capital because there are around one million vehicles in Amman and there are an additional 700,000 to one million that enter and exit the capital daily,” he explained.

The Interior Ministry Circle can accommodate 5,000 vehicles per hour, “but in reality around 25,000 cross that intersection every hour," said Rababaa.

Officers are dispatched to certain “black spots where motorists tend to commit the most traffic violations”, according to the traffic official. 

“Motorists tend to double- or triple-park or simply just block streets in front of malls, juice shops, restaurants and mosques,” Rababaa explained.

This behaviour is no longer tolerated, he said, and “any vehicle in grave violation is towed by our police trucks.”

Officers from the secret traffic police are also dispatched to the capital’s streets during these busy times to register traffic violations, said Maj. Jalal Rahahleh, who is in charge of these officers.

“We have arrested around 50 motorists, including two women, mainly in western Amman suburbs during iftar time for speeding and driving in a reckless manner because they think there are no traffic officers during that time,” Rahahleh added.

“We will not tolerate anyone who breaks the law because our main concern is to preserve lives, enforce the law and organise traffic,” he said.