Jordan is in negotiations with the World Bank to fix its transportation sector problems, amid criticism of the kingdom’s poor infrastructure.
The Jordanian Minister of Transport, Wajih Azaiza, met with the Regional Director of the World Bank, Saroj Jha, and shed light on the reality of public transportation and ways to support its development plans in the coming years, the Jordan News Agency said.
Azaiza explained that the Jordanian authorities are seeking to implement transport reforms, but are constrained by the funding problem.
Transportation problems
The official Jordan News Agency quoted Azaiza as saying that the ministry is “currently working on updating the strategy of the transport sector in all its forms.”
He stressed that the strategy is at the forefront of the ministry’s priorities, with the participation of the private sector.
Discussions between Azaiza and Jha focused on the need for the World Bank’s support program to include plans to develop and build the capabilities of workers in the field of transportation, in cooperation with the local community, including unions and universities.
Jha noted that the World Bank will cooperate with Amman in the stages of this plan by providing a grant with the aim of updating the transport sector strategy and making the country a regional hub for trade and transit trade.
Economists unanimously agree that the government transport sector activity model in Jordan is in need of a new comprehensive stimulattion vision as one of the main foundations for the country’s economic growth, especially in light of the pressures on the infrastructure due to the slow reform process.
They assert that the delay in reform and radical solutions would cause heavy costs in the future, whose burdens will increase on the country’s population if the indicators continue to decline to dangerous rates.
The absence of official attention to the transport sector has led to a decline in the level of services and effectiveness of transport systems within cities and between governorates due to their lack of modernity, intelligence, flexibility and ease.
The Ministry of Transport is busy studying the legislation regulating the sector in order to stimulate it and increase its competitiveness, and to provide an attractive climate for investment in a sector whose contribution to the gross domestic product has reached 7%.
The strategy also includes a project to install, operate and implement intelligent transportation systems with the aim of providing information related to passengers, lines and frequencies of transportation modes, finding a way to collect wages and providing wage support electronically, as well as reducing carbon emissions.
