Transport Ministry to grant 25% commute subsidy to underprivileged

AMMAN — The Ministry of Transport on Thursday announced that it is planning to launch a service aimed at integrating underprivileged segments of society into the labour market through paying 25 per cent of their transport costs.

The ministry’s transport support service falls in line with the government’s fourth economic incentives bundle announced in December of 2019, which aims to improve the livelihoods and well-being of citizens and enhance the quality of services, Transport Minister Khalid Saif said during a press conference on Thursday.

One of the principal barriers to employment is transportation, therefore the ministry will transfer money directly to 3,000 beneficiaries’ bank accounts in 2020, said the secretary general at the ministry, Wisam Tahtamoni.

The ministry will provide direct financial support by contributing 25 per cent of the overall transport cost for underprivileged citizens, Saif noted, adding that this service is part of the National Aid Fund’s complementary programme.

The goals of this “substantial programme” are to improve the economic situation of the underprivileged and effectively help them towards employment through expanding their access to social protection, as well as providing psychological, economic and social stability, he said. 

Saif noted that the ministry is aiming to increase the number of beneficiaries of the transport support service by taking “firm steps” to grow the budget.

The transport support service targets families’ breadwinners, the minister said, adding that the mechanism for cash disbursement has been developed in partnership with the National Aid Fund, with JD1.8 million allocated to the service for 2020.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development, new mechanisms are to be established for the upcoming year, the secretary general added.