Traffic police cracking down on violations by truck drivers

AMMAN — The Central Traffic Department on Sunday launched a campaign to crack down on traffic violations by lorries and trucks on highways, an official said on Monday. 

The department will monitor drivers’ commitment to the speed limits and to driving in the correct lane, said Amman Traffic Department Director Col. Bassem Kharabsheh. 

Lorries, trucks and heavy vehicles must use the right-hand lane, and the speed limit for these vehicles is 10km per hour lower than for smaller vehicles, Kharabsheh told The Jordan Times.  

“Driving trucks and lorries in the left lane does not only hinder traffic flow, it also makes dealing with emergency cases more difficult,” he added, explaining that it is easier to handle incidents like spills when the vehicle is in the right lane.

The penalty for drivers of large vehicles who do not drive in the right lane is JD50.

The campaign covers all major highways connecting cities, particularly the Airport Road, as drivers of lorries and large vehicles often take these arterial roads, said Kharabsheh. 

The campaign also monitors environmental violations, including smoke emissions, and other violations of traffic regulations.

The official noted that some drivers on service roads parallel to the Airport Road believe they are two-way streets, when in fact they are one-way.