Hashemite University students hold overnight protest over transport services

AMMAN — Around 80 Hashemite University students organised an “overnight stay” in front of the university’s main gate on Tuesday to demand better transportation services to and from the university, according to the National Campaign for Defending Students’ Rights, “Thabahtoona”.

Hashemite University students protested against the services of Mutakamilah Transportation (AutoBus) Company from 3pm until the early hours of the morning, according to Mohammad Sabri, an activist at Thabahtoona.

“We started a one-week boycott of Mutakamilah on Sunday to demand safer and more efficient transport services for students,” the head of student and transport affairs at university’s student council, Ibrahim Obeidat, told The Jordan Times.

“This is to pressure the company and the university to offer more buses and stations. We aren’t using the Mutakamilah buses this week and students who have cars are driving the ones who don’t to their houses,” he added.

“Buses are preventing students from arriving at their lectures on time. We sometimes have to change two or three buses on our way to university because of the lack of facilities,” Obeidat said.

Fakher Daas, coordinator of “Thabahtoona”, told The Jordan Times that the contract with AutoBus should end in 2017 due to the company’s “irresponsible acts”, its “failure to comply with the law”, and for “endangering the lives of students on a daily basis”.

Obeidat said many acts of harassment take place when students start assembling to take the buses.

“Almost 70 per cent of the university’s students are females; most of them face harassment either from the employees or other students when taking buses back home late in the afternoon,” he added.

The students demand that AutoBus employees be monitored to avoid and limit harassment, according to Daas.

“We also want all buses to be tested by the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Department and make sure they are fit for human use,” Daas added.

“Many students put their lives in danger when taking buses and waiting for them on the street, which is why we urge the university and Mutakamilah to build parking areas next to Sweileh Circle,” Obeidat said.

He charged that some drivers are violating the law by allowing 17 extra students into the buses.

Students of the Zarqa-based university call for using another transport company and increasing the number of buses and terminals when signing a new contract, according to Daas.