Public transport fares to be raised by 10% as of Wednesday

AMMAN — Public transport fares are to be increased by 10 per cent as of Wednesday, under a decision adopted by Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) Director General Salah Lozi on Sunday.

The decision covers medium and large public buses and all taxis, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Lozi said that the decision was made after the LTRC studied all changes related to fuel prices and inflation rates that placed additional burdens on operators through hikes in operational costs and a decrease in revenues, which in turn negatively affected the quality of service due to negligence of maintenance issues, Petra reported.

He noted that the commission was late in announcing the new tariffs due to change in the pricing process that affects rate amendment accredited by the LTRC, according to Petra.

The last increase in transport fares was in December of 2016, a 10 per cent hike that covered all public transport means regardless of the type of fuel used in the vehicle.

The LTRC is responsible for the transport sector and providing incentives to operators, as well as boosting investments.

The transport sector accounts for 26 per cent of the gross domestic product, and investments related to it are “large and fruitful” Lozi said in previous remarks, noting that some of the challenges facing the sector are due to the fact that operators tend to be individuals rather than companies.