Stakeholders hail exempting tourist coaches from customs duties, demand more

AMMAN — Members of the tourism sector have praised the government’s decision to exempt tourist buses from customs duties for one year, calling for expanding the time span of the exemption.

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to grant a complete tax exemption on modern buses replacing old tourist coaches, in addition to full exemption from registration fees until December 31.

“One year is not enough,” said the President of the Tourist Transport Association Chaifiq Hayek, adding that procedures to replace such a large fleet of buses require more than one year.

The decision has cut the expenses of buying buses by around 30 per cent, Hayek said, noting that a large-sized bus would cost JD200,000.

He called for extending the period of exemption to more than one year or even making it permanent.

The sector leader also called for amending the Tourist Transport By-law 86, 2012 by increasing the operational age from 12 to 15 years for large buses and from 10 to 12 for medium ones.

The Jordan Society of Travel Agents’ (JSTA) secretary of the treasury, Kamal Abu Diab, said that the sector has been waiting for this exemption for a long time, as it will improve the quality and quantity of available buses for inbound trips, as well as for Hajj and umra (the greater and the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca) trips.

“It is a step in the right direction and it will motivate companies to renew their fleets and provide a better service,” said Malek Haddad, executive manager of The Jordan Express Tourist Transport (JETT).

JETT, accordingly, has decided to buy 10 new buses “immediately” and 20 others before the end of this year, Haddad added.

Sulaiman Abu Dalu, a tour operator, said that the decision would solve a problem that travel agencies have been suffering from, especially during the high season.

It is not easy to book a bus during the peak time due to the higher demand by the inbound travel agencies, Abu Dalu said.

It is not easy, either, to book a modern bus during the pilgrimage season as the Saudi authorities require only new buses, which means inbound tourism is left with older and lower quality ones, according to the operator.

Yousef Zreigat, a tourism expert, said that the lack of “decent” buses would affect the quality of service and the safety of tourists groups.

The decision will allow new companies to bring in more buses, which would lower the possibility of mechanical faults and the working hours for drivers; the main reasons for “disastrous” accidents, Zreigat, who is also a tourist guide, said.

Some drivers would finish a trip from Saudi Arabia and start a tourist trip in Jordan on the same day, according to Zreigat.

During the high season, a tourist group would use up to seven buses in a four-day trip for the unavailability of a full-time bus, which wastes the energy and time of the groups, he added.

He stressed also that the companies should buy buses that are accessible for people with disabilities.

Angela, a tourist from the UK, said that she visited Jordan last year with a group of 30.

During the trip, the bus’s microphone and air conditioner did not work properly, she said, adding that even after changing the bus, the situation did not improve.