By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN - By the end of 2009, passengers using Integrated Transport Company (ITC) buses will no longer need to dig into their pockets to find coins to pay the fare.

Passengers riding the company's buses, which cover 70 per cent of public transport in Amman, will have to hold a prepaid smart-card to pay for all fares starting next year, ITC Director General Moayyad Tarawneh told reporters on Wednesday.

Currently, the company's 403-bus fleet is equipped with the required machines for using the card, called “ekartak”, Tarawneh said, adding that the card will be introduced gradually, starting with Al Mahatta Bus Terminal.

"Passengers using our buses leaving from Al Mahatta will have to use the card," he said, adding that the measures will be applied in other bus terminals gradually to cover all passengers travelling on ITC buses by the end of next year.

According to Tarawneh, there are currently 30 outlets across bus terminals in Amman and other governorates served by the company selling the JD1.5 card, which is valid for two years.

"Using the card will save both passengers and drivers time and the hassle of looking for coins. In addition, it will help create a database about the number of passengers heading to certain locations, pressures on particular routes and other information," he told reporters yesterday.

The company's buses carry 100,000 to 120,000 passengers daily, according to the ITC director.