Public transport inconsistencies a daily struggle for student commuters

AMMAN — Inconsistent timetables and over-occupied buses remain concerns for university students who rely on public transport, as many bus operators remain unwilling to comply with sector regulations.

Siwar is a 20-year-old university student who lives in Amman and takes the bus to her university in Salt Governorate every morning. 

“Not a day goes by smoothly with public transport,” Siwar told The Jordan Times. 

Siwar stated that “confusing and inconsistent timetables” and extreme crowding on busses are major challenges that she faces when using public transport. 

“A bus would easily carry 20 extra passengers in a trip,” Siwar said. 

“The only thing I can do is squeeze myself in the seat so two more girls can fit in, in a two-person bus seat,” she added. 

According to Siwar, drivers and bus controllers know that over-occupied buses are a violation that can result in a traffic ticket. Therefore, passengers are often asked to close the curtains when they see a police car, she said.

Siwar “knows for a fact” that she could report this violation, or simply refuse to get on an over occupied bus, but this would cause her to arrive late to her classes and face possible dismissal by professors. 

However, Siwar noted that public transport is “very safe for women”.

“A sign of respect is that females are always seated, and get seat priority almost all of the time,” she said. 

Siwar cited the affordability of the bus when asked why she chooses commuting by public transport, stating that she “has no other choice”.

Murad Masad, a university student who also takes the bus to university every day, said that the irregular timetables are the most prominent challenge with the system. 

“Over-occupied buses are also a concern,” Masad added. 

According to Masad, in many cases, young men are asked to leave the bus, walk a distance of 50 meters until the bus passes a police car on patrol, and then return to the bus. All requests are made in effort to avoid the risk of a traffic violation for an over-occupied bus, he added.

Despite the struggles, “with such low prices, travelling by bus is the best option for university students,” Masad said.

According to Public Security Directorate’s (PSD) website, over-occupied public transport vehicles are in violation of the law, and such cases must be reported to the authorities. 

An over-occupied bus is considered an operational violation, which falls under the PSD Traffic Department law number 49 for the year 2009, according to the Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) website. 

Despite several attempts by The Jordan Times to contact the PSD, they were not available to comment.