Traffic violations ‘decreasing’ in areas monitored by cameras — GAM

AMMAN — Traffic violations in areas where the Greater Amman Municipality has installed new cameras have significantly decreased, a GAM official said Wednesday. 

Mohammad Faouri, director of joint management at GAM, told The Jordan Times over the phone that the goal behind setting up the camera units has been achieved.

Citing the Abu Nseir area, Faouri said violations decreased to 38 since the cameras began operating earlier this month, compared to 108 recorded the month before. 

The GAM official did not provide further details about the total number of violations.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, Ayman Smadi, executive director of GAM’s transport and traffic department, said the 22 new cameras registered 3,400 traffic violations on the first day.

Five of the cameras are installed at traffic lights, seven are fixed radar units and the rest are mobile radar units that can be placed on cars.

The cameras have been set up on the Mukhaddarat traffic light on Abu Baker Siddiq Street, the Ersal traffic light at Al Quds intersection, the Maslakh (slaughterhouse) traffic light on Jaish Street and two at the Queen Zein Al Sharaf intersection in Sweifieh.

But a lawyer says the cameras “invade people’s privacy” and has filed a lawsuit against the Central Traffic Department and GAM.

Tariq Abu Raghib said having these cameras take photos of people inside their cars is in violation of the Constitution. 

“Now we are waiting for the decision of the prosecutor general,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Abu Raghib said he is not against having the cameras in principle because they contribute to regulating traffic, but they should not invade privacy.