New BRT routes to open paths to development, say economists

AMMAN — New Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes are expected to be a catalyst for job creation and contribute to boosting economic growth in the Kingdom, economists say. 

During a Cabinet session on Tuesday, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh announced the government’s plan to establish two additional BRT routes, under the executive plan for the Economic Modernisation Vision (2023-2025).

The first route will connect Irbid and Zarqa, while the second will connect Jerash and Amman. Creating new routes between the governorates is part of the government’s plan to improve Jordanians’ quality of life, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

“Public transportation is a catalyst for job creation,” economist Khaled Salameh told The Jordan Times.

Public transportation is directly linked to jobs and opportunities for people, especially in rural communities, he added.

“Public transportation saves time and money in travel, and makes a country’s economy more productive,” Salameh said.

Meanwhile, economist Wajdi Makhamreh told The Jordan Times that transportation creates economic growth and increases economic productivity. 

“Sound transportation investments lower the costs of moving people and goods,” Makhamreh added.

Developing the Jordan National Railway Project (JNRP) is also among the government’s priorities in light of the country’s Economic Modernisation Vision (2023-2025), Makhamreh said.

Makhamreh noted that the JNRP will be a significant strategic infrastructure project that will modernise country’s logistics through institutionalising overland cargo transport, which would give the Kingdom a competitive advantage in the trade network, and positively affect manufacturers and suppliers.

Additionally, it will contribute to managing the flow of people, merchandise and traffic, he said.

Meanwhile, an official source working for the BRT project, who prefers to remain anonymous, told The Jordan Times that there’s no clear timeline for the launch of the new routes. 

“Over one million passengers have used BRT Amman so far,” the source said.

Jordanians voiced hope after the PM’s announcement, and called it a “step in the right direction”. 

“Jordanians struggle with our crumbling transportation infrastructure, resulting of decades of under-investing,” Amman resident Mohammad Nemat told The Jordan Times. 

Nemat added that creating routes between governorates eases the financial burden of transportation, and saves time and effort.

Sewar Hamada, another Amman resident, said that developing routes between governorates will economically empower women. 

“Many women, especially in the governorates are unemployed due to the unavailability of transportation,” Hamada added.