JORDANTV — broadcast
20260806 193000 UTC
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[00:00:00] Economist Professor Hussam Ayesh, and we will go
[00:00:03] to a break. After that, we will open the file
[00:00:06] of traffic congestion in
[00:00:09] the streets of the capital, Amman. Please stay with us.
[00:00:24] traffic flow on
[00:00:34] and traffic light control in
[00:00:36] we do not fear
[00:02:26] manner on
[00:02:34] Welcome back. The capital priority at roundabouts or Amman is witnessing increasing
[00:02:37] traffic challenges, which has made the issue of congestion one of the most prominent
[00:02:41] daily issues that affect the lives of citizens and require
[00:02:46] and raise the level of traffic safety on sustainable solutions. To talk about the reality of traffic in the capital and the causes
[00:02:50] We do not fear of congestion and the solutions that the Greater Amman
[00:02:53] Municipality is working on, we are joined in the studio by
[00:02:56] And above the sands on the Director of Traffic Operations in the Greater Amman Municipality, Engineer
[00:02:58] Shadi Al-Rawabdeh. Welcome, Engineer Shadi, and before we start
[00:03:02] the discussion, let's review the causes of traffic congestion
[00:03:05] Sir, traffic flow in in Amman's streets through this explanatory presentation.
[00:03:12] honor in
[00:03:21] we do not fear
[00:03:46] Engineer Shadi, welcome again.
[00:03:50] they go out to How long did the journey take you today Jordan, to get to the TV?
[00:03:54] Jordan, Sir, the journey started from Shafa Badran in northern
[00:03:57] Amman to the Radio Broadcasting Corporation, which is located southeast
[00:04:01] of the capital Amman. It took approximately 40
[00:04:04] minutes. The distance is 17 km,
[00:04:07] at an average of 28 minutes
[00:04:10] per 10 km. Okay.
[00:04:13] So there's no traffic today.
[00:04:16] Sir, there is no doubt that the capital Amman suffers from
[00:04:20] traffic congestion, and this is a natural result for a city
[00:04:23] of millions like our beloved
[00:04:26] perhaps this capital Amman. Okay. So Engineer Shadi, what are the causes
[00:04:30] of the existing traffic congestion? We can
[00:04:33] talk about it today. There are no rush hours
[00:04:36] at this time, but there are rush hours in the capital. Yes,
[00:04:40] there is severe traffic congestion, perhaps. Yes, tell me about
[00:04:44] the causes of this congestion. Sir, there are several causes
[00:04:47] and intertwined factors for the causes
[00:04:51] of traffic jams, including
[00:04:53] the high population growth in the capital Amman, in addition to
[00:04:57] the increasing number of vehicles and urban expansion.
[00:05:00] And the concentration of commercial
[00:05:03] and educational services in our beloved capital Amman, which is a point of attraction.
[00:05:07] It is considered one of the attractive cities, in addition to
[00:05:10] the large number of daily trips on the streets and axes of our beloved
[00:05:14] capital Amman. Okay, are the current
[00:05:17] solutions for congestion
[00:05:19] seen by the Greater Amman Municipality as
[00:05:23] successful solutions, or
[00:05:26] do they need to be developed and become more
[00:05:30] effective? Sir, the Greater Amman Municipality
[00:05:33] is working on more than one axis in addressing traffic jams.
[00:05:37] The first is the operational axis, where traffic movement
[00:05:40] and smart
[00:05:43] transportation systems
[00:05:46] our beloved capital Amman are monitored, in addition to engineering
[00:05:50] solutions that include redesigning intersections
[00:05:53] engineeringly and widening
[00:05:56] the main axes, in addition to strategic
[00:05:59] plans that promote the use of public transport
[00:06:04] our beloved capital Amman.
[00:06:07] Therefore, there are continuous efforts by the Greater Amman Municipality in
[00:06:11] managing the traffic operation and future plans, taking
[00:06:15] into account the increasing number of vehicles. What are the most prominent
[00:06:18] measures that the Greater Amman Municipality
[00:06:21] is taking today to alleviate
[00:06:25] this congestion, especially during rush hours? What can
[00:06:29] you do or are you doing currently? Sir, managing the traffic
[00:06:32] operation in the capital Amman is a shared responsibility between the Greater Amman Municipality
[00:06:35] and the Central Traffic Department. Therefore, there is
[00:06:38] direct communication through control rooms in the capital
[00:06:42] Amman, introducing smart transport systems and using
[00:06:46] technology to monitor traffic movement and reduce response
[00:06:49] time on the main axes in the event of any
[00:06:53] incident on these streets and main axes.
[00:06:56] Reducing response time increases the efficiency of the road
[00:07:00] network in the capital Amman and increases traffic
[00:07:03] flow. So, in your opinion, Engineer Shadi, has the road
[00:07:09] saturation? Do we now
[00:07:11] need solutions
[00:07:14] to address the current saturation, and what about
[00:07:17] the future, about the coming years? Sir, there is no doubt
[00:07:21] that there are a number of main axes that are witnessing
[00:07:24] increasing and continuous
[00:07:25] demand
[00:07:29] for travel, especially during rush hours, where
[00:07:32] these axes witness numbers exceeding
[00:07:35] the road's capacity of
[00:07:38] vehicles. Therefore, the Greater Amman Municipality, through
[00:07:41] its strategy, is working to improve and develop
[00:07:45] infrastructure, in addition to promoting
[00:07:48] the culture of public transport
[00:07:51] and finding an alternative for drivers
[00:07:54] to using their private vehicles by developing a public
[00:07:58] transport system in the capital Amman. Okay, the Greater Amman Municipality,
[00:08:01] in partnership with the Traffic Department, and certainly the Public
[00:08:04] Security Directorate, how do you deal
[00:08:07] with traffic congestion periods?
[00:08:11] Tell us about how you deal with morning
[00:08:14] and evening rush hours.
[00:08:17] the capital Amman experiences morning and evening peaks,
[00:08:20] especially before official working
[00:08:24] hours. Therefore, a morning traffic plan is put in place
[00:08:27] and traffic lights are programmed through the Traffic Control Center
[00:08:31] to increase traffic flow towards
[00:08:34] the axes that are experiencing
[00:08:37] increased demand on these axes. There is joint coordination
[00:08:41] between it and the Traffic Department.
[00:08:49] Sir, the traffic lights in the beloved capital Amman are smart traffic lights
[00:08:52] that contain sensors that measure the volume of traffic
[00:08:56] flow and are programmed automatically, but through the Traffic
[00:09:00] Control Center, if we notice any anomaly in these
[00:09:03] traffic lights or on these main axes, manual intervention
[00:09:07] is carried out through the system available in the Greater Amman
[00:09:10] Municipality through the Traffic Control Center,
[00:09:13] which includes operators from the Greater Amman Municipality, in addition
[00:09:16] to representatives from the Traffic Department, in order to increase
[00:09:20] the level of participation and reduce response time. So, is there actual
[00:09:23] manual intervention on a daily basis, or is the programming
[00:09:27] sufficient? The programming is sufficient, but there are some incidents
[00:09:31] that occur, for example, if we notice the presence
[00:09:34] of emergency vehicles such as civil defense vehicles
[00:09:38] or an emergency that requires manual intervention
[00:09:41] and increased traffic flow on the intersection areas that are controlled by traffic
[00:09:45] lights. Okay, Engineer Shadi, how do you evaluate
[00:09:47] the impact of the existing transportation projects in the capital Amman,
[00:09:51] such as the Bus Rapid Transit
[00:09:53] for example? How has traffic movement benefited
[00:09:57] from it? Has it actually reduced it, or does it need to be developed
[00:10:01] now? Sir, the Bus Rapid Transit project is
[00:10:05] one of the strategic projects in the public transport system of the capital
[00:10:08] Amman. The Bus Rapid Transit project
[00:10:13] has provided a safe and more regular
[00:10:17] means of transport for our citizens.
[00:10:19] Yes, it had a positive impact in reducing
[00:10:23] the number of cars and the number of trips on the streets and axes of the capital
[00:10:27] Amman, most notably
[00:10:29] Queen Rania Street, in addition to the Bus Rapid
[00:10:33] Transit project between Amman and Zarqa, which also reduced
[00:10:36] the number of vehicles entering the capital Amman. Did it actually reduce
[00:10:40] it numerically? Yes, sir, this is a direct
[00:10:44] result. Yes. In the matter that citizens
[00:10:47] also talk about, which is replacing
[00:10:50] roundabouts with traffic lights, I want to ask you, Engineer
[00:10:54] Shadi, about that the Engineering Department in the Greater Amman Municipality
[00:10:58] uses to replace such roundabouts
[00:11:00] with traffic lights. Sir, the Greater Amman Municipality is making
[00:11:04] continuous efforts to study
[00:11:08] the capital Amman. Now, when we convert
[00:11:11] a roundabout to a traffic light,
[00:11:14] we perform this operation based on specialized
[00:11:17] engineering traffic studies
[00:11:23] decision. There are many criteria that
[00:11:27] are taken into account, such as traffic volumes during
[00:11:30] rush hours, in addition to the efficiency of the intersection
[00:11:34] and raising the level of traffic safety, the number
[00:11:38] intersection. After obtaining all these studies
[00:11:41] and readings, a technical engineering decision is made to convert the roundabout
[00:11:45] to a traffic light. Converting a roundabout to a traffic light
[00:11:49] has two main reasons: first, to increase
[00:11:53] traffic flow, and second, to raise the level of traffic safety.
[00:11:56] If you noticed on the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh
[00:12:00] Circles, the level of traffic flow was increased on these
[00:12:03] roundabouts. There were also roundabouts that were converted to
[00:12:07] traffic lights. The main goal was to raise the level
[00:12:10] of traffic safety due to the recurrence of accidents at the intersection.
[00:12:14] Okay, away from engineering solutions,
[00:12:18] what is the message you direct
[00:12:21] to drivers? Are there
[00:12:24] actually violations or behaviors
[00:12:28] that contribute to increasing congestion during the day,
[00:12:31] during morning and evening rush hours? Sir,
[00:12:35] the success of any traffic plan in any city is a shared responsibility between
[00:12:39] official bodies and the behavior of our
[00:12:41] fellow drivers on the roads. Yes, there are some behaviors
[00:12:45] that lead to the exacerbation of traffic jams, such as
[00:12:49] stopping in an arbitrary
[00:12:51] the roads, double parking, not giving
[00:12:56] intersections. Therefore, we call on our fellow
[00:13:00] drivers to adhere to traffic rules and behaviors
[00:13:04] and cooperate with traffic police and Greater Amman Municipality staff
[00:13:07] to increase traffic flow
[00:13:11] the main streets and axes. Okay, Engineer Shadi, in the summer,
[00:13:14] certainly, there are large
[00:13:18] numbers of cars that increase on the streets.
[00:13:21] Jordanian expatriates may come with their cars
[00:13:25] from Gulf countries, for example, and
[00:13:28] rented cars. Is there
[00:13:32] a plan in the summer season
[00:13:35] to deal with such congestion? I mean, usually,
[00:13:38] congestion
[00:13:40] perhaps increases in this last
[00:13:44] month of summer before
[00:13:47] schools reopen. Sir, in summer, we also have
[00:13:51] a peak in rush hours
[00:13:53] that we deal with in the Greater Amman Municipality and the Traffic
[00:13:56] Department. We usually see a morning peak and an evening peak
[00:14:00] related to official working hours. Yes, now
[00:14:04] with the holiday season and the arrival
[00:14:06] of our expatriate brothers from abroad, we have started to see an evening peak.
[00:14:10] Most people, during high temperatures, stay at home, and in the evening,
[00:14:15] the streets and commercial axes, especially commercial attraction
[00:14:19] areas where malls, restaurants,
[00:14:21] and commercial shops are spread. Therefore,
[00:14:25] yes, we always coordinate with the Traffic Department to put in place traffic
[00:14:29] plans to deal with these traffic densities, especially
[00:14:33] at the beginning of the evening rush hour and the end of the evening rush
[00:14:36] hours, by facilitating the exit of these vehicles from the main axes and streets
[00:14:40] through the Traffic Control Center, which
[00:14:43] monitors most of the main axes and main streets
[00:14:46] and programs intersections and traffic lights. Okay, Engineer Shadi,
[00:14:51] topic needs
[00:14:55] to be studied, but do we in Jordan today need
[00:14:59] more flexibility in starting
[00:15:03] working hours for institutions,
[00:15:06] especially in the private sector? Perhaps the government sector has fixed
[00:15:09] timings, but do we need
[00:15:13] flexibility in the beginning
[00:15:16] and end of such sectors? Yes, that's right, sir,
[00:15:19] and the proof of that is if you remember a while ago there were
[00:15:22] matches for our national team in the World
[00:15:26] Cup, and working hours started at ten o'clock. There was a delay
[00:15:29] in working hours. If you noticed,
[00:15:33] when all our citizens started at a specific
[00:15:36] time, the morning rush hour, the capacity
[00:15:39] of the streets
[00:15:42] was very low, meaning that the number of vehicles
[00:15:45] greatly exceeded the capacity
[00:15:48] of the streets. Indeed, if
[00:15:51] there is flexibility in working hours, especially for the private
[00:15:55] sector, this contributes
[00:15:58] at the beginning. Yes, it contributes to increasing
[00:16:01] the main axes and streets. Thank you very much,
[00:16:04] Engineer Shadi Al-Rawabdeh, Director of Traffic Operations
[00:16:08] in the Greater Amman Municipality. Dear viewers, thank you for your kind attention. Godspeed.
[00:22:10] Every day we hear a lot about economic challenges
[00:22:13] and opportunities.
[00:22:16] We will talk about your problems and see where
[00:22:20] we have reached.
[00:22:25] Mashallah, the Rapid Transit Bus has really made us
[00:22:28] get to our jobs quickly. Oh, I wish government transactions
[00:22:34] the phone, while you are at home. Our youth's dreams, how can we
[00:22:37] achieve them and how can we
[00:22:39] reach them?
[00:22:42] We will be with them and take
[00:22:44] their opinions.
[00:30:43] Good evening and welcome to the News Council from Jordan
[00:30:46] Television. I am Ahmed Zamqana. Deputy Prime Minister
[00:30:50] and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman
[00:30:52] Safadi, made a phone call with the Minister of Foreign Affairs
[00:30:56] and Expatriate Affairs in the sister Republic of Yemen, Afrah Al-Zouba.