GAM floats tenders for Bus Rapid Transit’s Amman-Zarqa section

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) Council on Tuesday floated tenders for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project’s section connecting the central governorates of Amman and Zarqa.

The tenders amount to JD23,868 million and include work on two tunnels, a bridge and a bus station, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The council, during its session, also approved a recommendation made by the Financial Planning and Economic Development Committee to sign two amended agreements for funding the BRT project, which were also signed with the French Agency for Development.

Amman City Director Omar Lozi said that the work included in the tenders is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2020, Petra added.

The council also decided to float tenders for parts of the BRT encompassing the Prince Hamzah, Shahid and Istiqlal streets, valued at about JD7.6 million.

The 22km BRT project begins at the Mahatta complex and is proposed to stretch to the Zarqa complex.

The project is being implemented by the ministries of public works and transport, and is financed by the French Agency for Development in Amman, as well as the Ministry of Transport.

Started in 2010, but halted several times, the BRT is expected to accommodate 120 passengers per bus, according to GAM officials, who added that the system will serve Amman’s residents for at least the next 20 years.