Amman Bus Rapid Transit is a

bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...

transportation system in

Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

. Construction work on the BRT system started in 2010, but was halted soon after amid feasibility concerns. Resuming in 2015, the first route of the BRT system was inaugurated in July 2021, and the second was inaugurated in August 2022. Another BRT route connecting Amman with Zarqa is also under construction and is expected to be operational by the end of 2023. The BRT system in Amman runs on 2 routes: the first from

Sweileh Sweileh ( ar, صويلح, Ṣuwayliḥ, alternatively spelled Suwaylih, Swaylih or Swaileh) is district number sixteen in Amman, Jordan out of twenty-seven. It lies to the north of the city center. It was founded by Chechen settlers in 1906 duri ...

in northwest Amman to the Ras Al-Ain area next to

downtown Amman Downtown Amman ( ar, البلد, al-Balad) is an old, central commercial area of Amman, Jordan. History The Balad is the oldest section of the city. It is believed to have first been inhabited during the Neolithic period (around 6500 B.C.). The ...

, and the second from Sweileh to Mahatta terminal in eastern Amman. Both routes meet at the Sports City intersection. Ticket price for both lines are currently at 0.55 Jordanian dinars (around $0.78), bought either online via the Amman Bus mobile application or as a rechargeable card in major terminals. Passengers scan their cards or QR codes on phone when boarding the bus, where the price ticket is subtracted from the available balance. The buses are air-conditioned, accessible, monitored with security cameras and have free internet service.

Background

Plans for a BRT system were first announced in 2009 and construction work started soon after in 2010. The BRT project was originally funded through a soft loan provided by the

Agence Française de Développement The French Development Agency (french: Agence française de développement, AFD) is a public financial institution that implements the policy defined by the French Government. It works to fight poverty and promote sustainable development. This pub ...

for $166 million directly to the

Greater Amman Municipality Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman i ...

. Claims by the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and the Audit Bureau that the project is unfeasible led the government to halt construction and hire a foreign consultant to review the scheme in 2011. Construction on the project did not resume until 2015, when the House approved its revival. The first route of the BRT system was inaugurated in July 2021, with the second route was inaugurated in August 2022. The BRT project was controversial among the Jordanian public, who criticized its institutional and constructional delays.

Sweileh-Jordan Museum Route

The first route of the BRT system was inaugurated on 27 July 2021, extending from the

terminal in northwestern Amman passes by Sports City Circle to the

Jordan Museum The Jordan Museum is located in Ras Al-Ein district of Amman, Jordan. Built in 2014, the museum is the largest museum in Jordan and hosts the country's most important archaeological findings. Its two main permanent exhibitions are the Dead Sea S ...

terminal in Ras Al-Ain area next to the

and

Sweileh-Mahatta Route

The second route of the BRT system was inaugurated on 4 August 2022, extending from the

terminal in northwestern Amman to the Mahatta terminal in eastern Amman.

Gallery

File:BRT in Amman, Jordan 1.jpg, From the inside of a bus File:BRT station in Sweileh, Amman, Jordan 5.jpg, Sweileh terminal entrance File:BRT in Amman, Jordan 3.jpg, University of Jordan station File:BRT station in Sweileh, Amman, Jordan 10.jpg, Line of people entering bus at Sweileh terminal File:Ras Al Ain - BRT Project 1.jpg, Ras Al-Ain terminal next to the

References

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External links