Khaberni - The head of the Jordanian Bus Owners Union, Abdul Razzaq Al-Khashman, said on Thursday that the rise in fuel prices had negatively impacted public transport owners and the quality of service, praising the decision to adjust public transport fares and its positive effect on the sector and its importance for the continuation of service.
Al-Khashman praised the decision to approve the management system of the Passenger Transport Support Fund, asserting that the fund will solve many of the transport sector's problems.
The Land Transport Regulatory Commission decided to adjust public transport fares, with an increase of about 5 piastres for approximately 75% of the routes, while an increase of about 10 piastres will apply to approximately 25% of the longer routes, within a step aimed at restoring balance between operating costs and service continuity, taking into account the direct impact on users.
In this context, taxi fares will be adjusted in coordination with the relevant authorities, considering the specificities of each governorate, while the road freight sector continues to operate according to a floating mechanism linked to fuel prices, allowing flexibility in dealing with changes without the need for repeated interventions.
This adjustment comes after about eight years of stable tariffs since 2018, despite the continuous rise in operating costs, due to the significant increase in oil prices, gradually leading to a widening gap between actual costs and the level of wages in use.
The adjustment process was based on classifying the routes into short, medium, and long, ensuring a gradual and proportional distribution of the increase in accordance with the nature of each route and its operational costs, where longer routes naturally bear higher operational costs.
This distribution reflects an approach towards minimizing the impact on the daily use of citizens, considering the differences between routes in terms of distance and operating costs.
The decision aims to ensure the continuity of public transport services and prevent their decline, through achieving a well-considered balance between the social aspect and operational requirements, ensuring the sector's sustainability and its ability to respond to changes.
