Abu Qamar added, "These figures mean that regular inter-governorate transport has become a widely used daily service, and we now have a real operational database through which we can know where demand is concentrated, the extent of adherence to trips and frequencies, and where we need to improve service."
He indicated that the first phase recorded 15,737 trips in August, transporting 244,411 passengers, with buses covering 811,347 kilometers. The value of revenues recorded through electronic payment reached 302,980.90 Jordanian Dinars, equivalent to an average of about 15.5 passengers per trip and about 0.37 Dinars in revenue per kilometer covered.
The first phase includes 5 main routes: Irbid–Amman, Jerash–Amman, Salt–Amman, Karak–Amman, and Al-Qasr–Amman. August data showed that the Salt–Amman route recorded the highest number of passengers at about 89,251, followed by Irbid–Amman with 82,987 passengers, then Jerash–Amman with 39,206 passengers, Karak–Amman with 23,068 passengers, and Al-Qasr–Amman with 9,899 passengers.
Abu Qamar pointed out that the figures also reveal differences in the nature of demand between routes, explaining that the Jerash–Amman route, for example, recorded about 24 passengers per trip, compared to about 18.5 passengers per trip on the Irbid–Amman route, which provides the project with important indicators when reviewing frequencies and operational capacity for each route.
Abu Qamar highlighted an important indicator in reading the August results: the number of first-phase trips decreased from 16,634 in July to 15,737 in August, a decrease of nearly 5.4%, while the number of passengers decreased from 247,475 to only 244,411, or about 1.2%. Conversely, electronic payment revenues rose from 287,388 Dinars to 302,980.90 Dinars, an increase of nearly 5.4%.
Abu Qamar said, "This is an indicator worth reading; the decrease in the number of trips was greater than the decrease in the number of passengers, which indicates continued demand for the service, while at the same time, electronic revenues recorded an increase. For us, these indicators help in transitioning from operations based solely on schedules to operations that respond more accurately to actual demand."
As for the second phase, it recorded 6,694 trips during August, transporting 99,951 passengers, with buses covering 624,589 kilometers, while electronic revenues reached 187,271.75 Dinars. Thus, the average usage reached about 14.9 passengers per trip, and the average revenue was about 0.30 Dinars per kilometer.
The second phase includes the Tafilah–Amman, Ma'an–Amman, Zarqa–Irbid, Jerash–Irbid, Ajloun–Amman, Zarqa–Mafraq, and Jerash–Mafraq routes. The data shows a disparity in demand and operational levels between these routes, which provides a practical basis for reviewing frequencies and distributing service according to actual usage.
The Zarqa–Irbid route led the second-phase routes in terms of passenger numbers with 30,385 passengers during the month, while the Zarqa–Mafraq route recorded 16,855 passengers and achieved about 0.64 Dinars in revenue per kilometer, one of the highest revenue-per-kilometer indicators among second-phase routes.
Abu Qamar said, "What matters to us is not that all routes be the same, but that we understand the nature of each route. Some routes have a large volume of passengers, some achieve high passenger density per trip, and some need a review of frequency or trip timing. The existence of this data makes our operational decisions more linked to actual user behavior."
Abu Qamar emphasized that the project does not measure success by the number of passengers alone, noting that trip completion rates in the first phase ranged between 82% and 99%, while adherence to frequency ranged between 60% and 100%. In the second phase, trip completion rates ranged between 76% and 98%, and adherence to frequency between 73% and 96%.
He added, "Our goal is not to increase the number of buses or trips as an end in itself; the goal is for the trip to arrive at the time the citizen needs it, and for the service to be regular and predictable. Therefore, the frequency adherence indicator is no less important to us than the passenger number indicator."
He gave the example of the Jerash–Amman route, which enjoys significant demand and high passenger density, while recording a frequency adherence rate of 60%, explaining that such indicators directly identify where operational improvement efforts should be focused.
Abu Qamar pointed out that one of the important dimensions of the project is providing direct services to destinations with clear demand, including the King Hussein Medical Center. Trips heading there from Jerash, Salt, Karak, and Al-Qasr within the first phase recorded 7,041 passengers through 463 trips covering 24,466 kilometers, with revenues reaching 9,220 Dinars. The service from Tafilah and Ajloun within the second phase recorded 767 passengers through 123 trips covering 11,485 kilometers, with revenues reaching 1,250 Dinars.
Abu Qamar said, "The Medical Center service reflects the idea we want to build upon; that inter-governorate transport should not just be a move from city center to city center, but that we develop the service so that it reaches the citizen to the main destinations they need."
He confirmed that the added value of the project lies in moving towards a model based on regular operation, specific frequencies, electronic tracking, electronic payment, and performance measurement at the level of each route, in addition to comparing operational distances with distances recorded via the tracking system to improve data accuracy and the reliability of performance indicators.
Abu Qamar added, "Every trip produces data, every electronic payment process gives us an indicator, and the tracking system enables us to monitor implementation. When we combine these elements together, we are no longer just managing buses, but managing a transport network based on actual data."
He stressed that these figures reflect the citizen's need for public transport when it is regular, known, and reliable.
He added, "The next phase is to improve what has been achieved: raising the reliability of trips and frequencies, reading demand at the level of each route, and improving the distribution of operational capacity, leading to a more integrated regular transport network between governorate centers, the capital, and main destinations."
