Mixed response from retailers as parking restrictions eased in downtown Amman

AMMAN — Some retailers in the capital’s downtown area have welcomed the municipality’s decision to ease parking restrictions in the area, while others say they are yet to see the benefits. 

The Greater Amman Municipality set new parking times in downtown, lifting a previous ban on parking in the area after shop owners complained that traffic police were driving their customers away. 

Qais Awwad, who owns a clothes shop downtown, said the new measures, which permit parking at certain times, helped to revive commercial activity.

He noted that the new regulations coincided with increased trade due to children’s return to school and the approach of Eid Al Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice marking the end of the pilgrimage season.  

The municipality said it would install new parking signs across downtown by last Thursday to inform motorists that they could park in the area’s streets for 30 minutes. 

But on Tuesday, no signs had been placed on King Hussein Street or Prince Faisal Street, where the “No parking” signs remained. 

“People are still afraid to receive tickets, even though the municipality promised us to place the new signs,” said Awwad.

Amjad Khaled, who owns an accessories shop downtown, said he was optimistic that Eid Al Adha would bring shoppers to the area, but added that he wished parking restrictions had been eased earlier in the summer, when expatriates and tourists were in the city. 

Khaled said he had seen fewer traffic officers lately, but also complained that “No Parking” signs were still in place outside his shop. 

Meanwhile, the owner of Qasrawi Bazaar, an antiques shop, said parking restrictions were not the only problem facing traders. 

“The ban on parking in downtown negatively affected sales by 20 per cent, but the main problem is the lack of tourists,” he said. 

A café employee in downtown said customers used to complain about the difficulty of parking in the area. 

“We wish the municipality would set aside parking lots at nominal prices so people could enjoy different activities in downtown,” said Bashar Abdullah, the assistant manager of Jafra Café.