Amman-Zarqa BRT project to begin ‘trial’ operations next few months-Abul Samen

Amman: Jordan's Ministry of Public Works and Housing intends to initially hand over Amman-Zarqa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to Ministry of Transport to begin operating the project on a trial basis during the next few months, Minister of Public Works and Housing, Maher Abul Samen, announced on Thursday. Abul Samen's announcement came came during his tour to check on the project after the Public Works Ministry completed construction of the BRT main routes, as completion rate of its subsidiary works stood at about 98%. Abul Samen also said the project's subsidiary works should be completed during the coming weeks, stressing need to follow up on delay in this regard and provide detailed daily progress reports to the Public Works Ministry. On its feasibility, he pointed out the project's developmental and economic importance and its "positive" impact on improving the Kingdom's public transportation system, which reflects "positively" on the services provided to citizens. The minister added that the government is " counting on the project to improve Jordan's transportation services and reduce traffic congestion." The project, which is divided into 4 phases with a total length of 20 km at a cost of about JD140 million, is funded by Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) under a lease financing agreement, according to a ministry statement. Source: Jordan News Agency