Khaberni - The vehicle licensing crisis in Jordan is no longer a simple financial issue or a disagreement over fee values, but has become a clear model of the interaction of government decisions with the economic and social realities of citizens. The rise in fines under the new traffic law suddenly revealed a wide gap between what the state wants and what citizens can afford, and it reopened questions about the efficacy of deterrence when it exceeds people's ability.
The main idea behind increasing the fine values is to enhance discipline and reduce traffic violations. However, the practical application has shown different results, revealing that thousands of citizens are currently unable to pay accumulated fines, not out of evasion but due to financial distress and diminished purchasing power.
In many cases, the total fines exceed the value of the vehicle itself, an indicator of an imbalance between the punishment and income levels.
Here arises the essential question, is the purpose of the law deterrence or revenue collection? Deterrence is achieved when the punishment is affordable, not when it falls outside the citizen's capacity and generates new crises.
With the rise in fines, licensing has become more than a routine procedure. For many, it has become an entirely disabling step.
The presence of thousands of unlicensed vehicles indicates a decline in legal compliance, a weakening of effective control over the technical condition of vehicles.
This creates a counterproductive effect on the original goal of the law, as the rate of non-compliant vehicles increases instead of decreasing. What is more dangerous and overlooked by many, and perhaps insufficiently considered by the government, is that lack of licensing automatically means a lack of mandatory insurance. This puts the community in a real danger zone. A single traffic accident could leave an uninsured driver facing huge financial compensations extending to thousands of dinars and full legal and civil liability in case of death or serious injury.
In other words, the crisis of fines and licensing does not stop at the citizen and state level but transforms into an issue of social security affecting thousands of families.
The objective view suggests that the problem is not with the laws themselves, but with the gap between legislation and the economic circumstances.
Raising fines in countries with high incomes differs completely from applying it in a country where citizens suffer from declining purchasing power and rising living costs.
Therefore, the solution will not be to increase the burden on people, but to open realistic regulatory doors, such as
Considered partial exemption for accumulated fines.
Or flexible, interest-free long-term installment plans. Or a comprehensive assessment of fine values linked to income, not to the vehicle.
Or seasonal correction campaigns that bring thousands of vehicles back into the licensing and insurance fold.
These measures not only solve the financial problem but also address the resulting social and security dangers.
Ultimately, what is happening today is not just a licensing crisis, but a crisis of trust between the citizen and regulatory decisions.
Trust can only be restored through a simple equation represented by a law that can be implemented, and a financial capability that can be afforded.
If fines remain higher than people's capacity, licensing will remain problematic, insurance will remain absent, and the danger will continue to expand.
However, if the government reconsiders the issue from a realistic perspective, it will be able to achieve deterrence, maintain traffic safety, and protect citizens all at once.
