Lack of bus shelters irks commuters

AMMAN — The lack of bus shelters for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system forces daily commuters to brave the scorching heat in summer and get drenched in rain during winter. 

While there are a number of distributed bus shelters along the BRT’s designated pathways, the majority of bus stops are only composed of signage indicating their location.

The Jordan Times spoke with a number of students waiting at a bus stop across from the University of Jordan on this issue.

Batool Al Azzeh, a student who uses the BRT for transportation every day, told The Jordan Times that it was “very inconvenient” waiting for the bus in the rain on Wednesday. 

“In the morning, I had to wait for over 20 minutes until a bus came. I finished my lectures at 3pm, and the rain had gotten heavier by then, so my dad came and picked me up,” she said. 

3pm is a peak hour near the university, with heavily crowded buses and long waiting periods, according to Azzeh. 

Mohammad Kiswani, another university student, is also a daily user of the BRT. 

“We need more bus shelters, particularly ones with wider roofs so more people can take cover from the rain or the sun under them,” he told The Jordan Times, noting that he waited at the uncovered bus stop for 30 minutes while it was raining on Wednesday. 

He also said that increasing the number of buses is necessary to accommodate the rising number of users and reduce crowdedness and long waiting periods.

Other than that, it’s “a great and much needed service”, especially for students who don’t have private cars, Kiswani added. 

“Even if I was able to get a car, Amman’s traffic jam in the morning is just impossible. I won’t be able to make my lectures on time and I’ll be spending all of my money on gas,” he continued. 

Fayez Hamad, 81, also spoke with the Jordan Times about his experience using the BRT as he was waiting at the bus stop. 

“Driving is very stressful at my age, especially during heavy traffic jams. So I park my car on the other side of the road and take the bus to run some day-to-day errands and to shop for groceries,” he said. 

Being over 60 years of age, Hamed has a free bus pass. 

He noted that the BRT is “a very good and important” project, but requires some improvements. 

“Maybe because it’s still in-progress, certain aspects of it haven’t been properly addressed yet. Sheltered bus stops, for example, are a necessity of course, especially in winter,” Hamed added, noting that he typically avoids leaving his home on rainy days.

“I am sure this issue inconveniences many students and workers who use the bus daily, so hopefully it will be dealt with soon,” he continued. 

The project to install more bus shelters is currently under consideration, Greater Amman Municipality Spokesperson Naser Rahamneh told The Jordan Times.