Police reject UJ request to issue traffic tickets inside campus

AMMAN — North Amman's Traffic Police have rejected a request from the University of Jordan (UJ) for issuing traffic tickets inside campus, according to officials.

UJ's request was delivered on January 21 asking police to issue tickets inside the campus as of February 4, according to a university circular.

A traffic police official told The Jordan Times that "this decision was upon the request of the university deanship. The police are not authorised to issue traffic tickets inside the campus".

"We can only help in mentoring traffic outside the university territories in Queen Rania Street," the police official added.

Haya Al Hourani, director of Media and Public Relations Department at UJ, said that "traffic tickets will be issued but only in the main road which runs from the south gate till the north gate and not in the internal streets of the university as of now".   

When asked about the reasons behind the decision, UJ Head of Security Department Khamis Zubaidi told The Jordan Times in a phone interview that the decision was aimed at "mitigating traffic congestion and road blocks that would result from wrong parking practices in Queen Rania Street".

"Wrong parking at the bus lanes leads buses to stop in a main lane, resulting in hindering traffic flow. This practice forced us to seek an official intervention when the university security warnings were all neglected," he added. 

Another reason behind the decision, according to Zubaidi, is to "prevent any delay in the arrival of ambulances or civil defence vehicles inside campus in case of an emergency". 

"Although there is a civil defence unit inside the campus, a few-minute delay may have severe consequences," he added.

According to the UJ regulations, students are not allowed to enter campus with their vehicles except for students with disabilities or permits. In-campus parking lots are only allowed for the university staff and faculty members.

When asked about an alternative, Zubaidi suggested that "students can park at the paid parking lots outside the campus near the university's four gates as each fits almost 300-500 cars, and students can then use the in-campus buses to move between the different faculties".

However, students voiced mixed reactions over the UJ decision.

"The main problem is not issuing traffic tickets; it is the lack of sufficient parking lots near the campus as I have to come before 8.00am to find an empty place even in the paid lots. Whenever I come after that, I have to park very far and walk for at least 15 minutes to reach my college," Hiba Talal, told The Jordan Times.

"The paid parking lots are also costly on the long term. We come to the university almost every day and paying for the parking on a daily basis would be an extra financial burden," she added.

For his part Feras Kardash, a UJ student and a Radio staff at the university, said: "I believe issuing traffic tickets is needed in order to organise the traffic flow inside and outside campus"

According to Zubaidi, all individuals must abide by the laws even if no violations are issued. 

"The university campus is an inseparable part of the district, and laws should be respected inside and outside its territories," he concluded.