After downtown protests, GAM says parking rules necessary to avoid congestion

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Thursday said that street parking was banned across the capital, not just in “certain areas”, after traders protested over strict parking rules downtown. 

Business owners closed down their shops and restaurants in downtown Amman on Tuesday, complaining that customers were unable to park without getting parking tickets. 

But GAM insisted that strict parking rules were necessary to “counter congestion”. 

“These measures are taken due to the increase in the number of vehicles that entered Amman during the summer,” said Mohammad Faouri, GAM director of joint management. 

He added that traffic studies are conducted by a joint ad hoc committee, comprising members of the municipality and the traffic department. 

Regarding the ban on parking outside downtown shops, Faouri said the decision was taken after field visits to the area in order to ensure smooth traffic and reduce congestion. 

“Cars can park in some areas in downtown… the municipality has allocated some of its facilities, such as the Raghadan complex and the  Muhajireen square as free parking lots to downtown visitors,” the GAM official told The Jordan Times in a statement. 

He added that there are paid parking lots inside the central shopping area downtown, and cars loading and offloading goods can park after 10:30 pm.

Owners of shops in downtown Amman interviewed by The Jordan Times reported massive losses due to the traffic measures, which they say are driving customers away. 

Around 100 shops were closed on Tuesday for several hours in protest against authorities’ measures, which they deemed “destructive to the heart of downtown Amman”. 

The traders reopened their shops after the head of the local police station sat with them and convinced them to resume trading, promising to set up a meeting between the retailers and traffic officials. 

“Rather than holding dialogue with Ammanis and listening to their suffering and pain to defuse the crisis, GAM is making unrealistic and illogical statements,” Foodstuff Traders Association President Khalil Haj Tawfiq told The Jordan Times. 

Responding to the GAM statement, he said he would address Prime Minister Hani Mulki and acquaint him with the situation. 

“On behalf of the traders, I will refute GAM’s allegations and acquaint the premier with what is going on,” he noted.   

In previous remarks, Amman Traffic Department Director Col. Bassem Kharabsheh said the alternative to regulating the flow of cars in commercial areas is “allowing chaos”.

“Let us argue that we can override the law and allow people to park outside shops as long as they want to. This would mean that cars would close down streets and interrupt traffic flow for hours. This is an illogical equation that would harm traders even more,” he told The Jordan Times earlier this year. 

While acknowledging that there were not enough parking areas around shopping centres in Amman, he suggested that shop owners should take responsibility for creating parking spaces. 

“If parking lots are destroying their businesses, they can come up with ideas to resolve the issues, such as constructing multi-storey buildings,” Kharabsheh said.