‘144 motorists fined for World Cup final match celebrations’

AMMAN — A traffic official on Thursday said the police have fined 144 motorists for driving on Sunday night in celebratory parades following Germany’s FIFA World Cup win.

All the traffic violations occurred in west Amman suburbs, said Lt. Col. Muawiah Rababaa, director of the Central Traffic Department’s public relations team.

“It was a chaotic day specially in Abdoun, where scores of vehicles headed to that neighbourhood in celebration,” Rababaa  told The Jordan Times.

Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to clinch the World Cup, sending fans to the streets in Amman in celebration.

“These violators formed parades and blocked streets while others were sitting on the vehicles’ windows so we had to issue traffic tickets,” Rababaa said.

The fine is JD30, according to the official.

He said police handled similar incidents when Germany beat Brazil 7-1 and when Argentina beat the Netherlands on penalty shoot-outs in the in the semifinal matches. 

Motorists also celebrated when Algeria qualified to the second round earlier in the tournament, Rababaa added.

“We issued 90 citations at the end of the Germany-Brazil game, and around 50 tickets at the end of the two other games,” he said.

“This time of year is very busy. It is the summer, Ramadan and the World Cup. It is our duty to apply the law and prevent such negative practices that annoy other motorists and area residents,” Rababaa said.