Khaberni - Citizens have demanded the provision of small vehicle parking services near the main rapid bus transit stations, especially for students and employees, to enable them to benefit from the rapid bus services, particularly those residing far from the main stations.
Citizens stated that the rapid bus has become one of the most significant public transport projects in the capital. However, the absence of parking near these stations still limits a wide segment of citizens from benefiting from this service. They explained that many employees prefer to leave their personal vehicles near the stations and commute by rapid bus to their workplaces, but they face daily problems due to the lack of organized and safe parking areas, which pushes them to use their private cars instead of public transport, according to Al Mamlaka TV.
Citizens pointed out that while some users prefer the rapid bus as a quicker mode of transport, some stations, such as Al Balad station, do not provide suitable parking spaces before boarding the rapid bus.
Others indicated that residents of Al Quweismeh, Al Ashrafieh, Al Nuzha, and Al Mareekh, for example, need Park and Ride lots to enable them to park their vehicles and use the rapid bus to reach their workplaces.
Citizens confirmed that the problem does not lie in the rapid bus concept itself, but in the difficulty of accessing it, especially for those living in areas far from the stations and who do not have an easy way or suitable place to park their vehicles.
They noted that employees and university students need organized parking lots near the stations, affirming that the absence of these lots drives many to use their private vehicles throughout the trip instead of benefiting from the public transport service.
While the public transport system in the capital stakes on reducing the number of private vehicles in the city, citizens believe that the absence of Park and Ride schemes makes this goal difficult to achieve, as the user needs a complete journey that starts from their home and ends at their workplace. They pointed out that an employee who does not find a safe parking spot near the departure station will be forced to continue using their private vehicle even if the rapid bus service is faster and less costly.
The Traffic Operations Manager at Amman Municipality, Shadi Al-Rawabdeh, said on Saturday to "Al Mamlaka" that the rapid bus project was fundamentally designed as an inner-city public transportation system, noting that most of the main stations were built on already congested streets and that the spaces available to establish Park and Ride facilities were limited.
Al-Rawabdeh explained that the main goal of the rapid bus project was to encourage citizens to reduce the use of private cars within the city, pointing out that simultaneously with the rapid bus project, Amman Municipality launched feeder buses for areas adjacent to the rapid bus routes, through connecting neighborhoods and adjacent areas to the rapid bus tracks.
He confirmed the existence of a gap in connecting private vehicle users to the rapid bus service, stating that the public transport system in Amman is an integrated network being built gradually, and that the rapid bus routes have seen expansions in recent years to cover more areas and connect them to the governorates.
He pointed out that the main goal is to reduce the entry of cars into crowded areas and attraction zones within the capital, highlighting the operation of new routes such as Amman - Salt and Amman - Madaba, in addition to the Amman - Zarqa route, as part of the plan to expand the public transport network.
Al-Rawabdeh clarified that the limited spaces were the main reason behind the inability to establish large parking facilities near the stations, stressing that the priority in the first phase was to operate the routes and infrastructure, while parking services are still proposed as part of the future expansions of the terminal stations.
He mentioned that some of the stations experiencing high pressure or a clear lack in parking spaces include the Sweileh Station and the Sports City Roundabout Station, which are among the main and crowded stations.
He noted that there are land parcels owned by Amman Municipality near the Sports City Roundabout and Tariq Station, which are among the main terminal stations, which will be developed in the future to secure parking for vehicles and implement the Park and Ride system.
