"Land Transport": 1.9 billion dinars is the cost of traffic congestion in Jordan

He added that the estimate of the congestion cost at about 1.9 billion dinars was based on a methodology that calculated the impact of a five-minute delay per trip, taking into account that a vehicle makes four trips, and the number of working days, which ranges between 200 and 250 days annually.

Al-Habashneh pointed to what he described as the "cause and solution syndrome" in dealing with traffic congestion, explaining that the causes themselves can be an entry point for the solution, most notably the development of governorates and the provision of job opportunities within them.

He said that there are large numbers of citizens who commute daily to the capital, Amman, from surrounding areas and governorates, such as Rusaifa, Baqaa, Naour, Sahab, Salt, and Zarqa, noting that the entrances to the capital have become a primary source of the traffic crisis.

He indicated that roads with three lanes in one direction receive between 100,000 and 150,000 vehicles daily, while their maximum capacity ranges between 50,000 and 65,000 vehicles.

He added that areas such as Rusaifa, Sahab, Naour, and Salt have become part of the urban sprawl surrounding the capital, with urban continuity between the center of Amman and these cities, which increases the movement of traffic between them.

Al-Habashneh emphasized that the concentration of development and job opportunities in the capital, Amman, compared to other governorates, is one of the causes of congestion, explaining that this does not mean the absence of development and employment in the governorates, but rather a gap in the distribution of development and job opportunities.

He pointed out that the development of governorates and the provision of sustainable job opportunities in them represent a fundamental part of the solution, in addition to establishing major institutional and service centers outside the capital, including major health centers and universities that contribute to attracting citizens to the governorates and meeting their needs there.

He stressed the importance of long-term planning, noting that Jordan has an Economic Modernization Vision that extends until 2033, pointing to the need to pay attention to planning at the executive and tactical levels, in addition to strategic planning.

Regarding the development of the road network in the capital, Amman, Al-Habashneh said that in previous stages, the focus was on developing traffic intersections before shifting to developing major axes and roads, explaining that this shift began in 2015.

He pointed out that work before the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project focused on intersections, while the philosophy of transport and infrastructure development later shifted to developing axes, citing Al-Shaheed Street extending from the City Mall roundabout to Zarqa, and University Street extending from the Sweileh roundabout to the Masdar signal.

Al-Habashneh confirmed that addressing traffic congestion requires working on several axes, including the development of governorates and planning, in addition to traffic management and transport demand management, noting that these aspects require detailed and integrated treatment.