AMMAN — The Kingdom’s public transport ecosystem witnessed “tangible progress” in 2025, particularly in the area of scheduled passenger transport, Director-General of the Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) Riad Kharabsheh said on Tuesday.

Kharabsheh said that services expanded through the regular transport project linking Amman with governorate centres, now covering routes between the capital and Jerash, Irbid and Karak, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He noted that the project is distinguished by adopting electronic payment systems, onboard surveillance cameras, GPS tracking and clearly defined timetables.

Kharabsheh added that the government has approved the project’s second phase, which includes the addition of 180 buses, as part of efforts to complete the network connecting governorate centres with Amman.

The broader plan aims to introduce 1,000 buses under the regular transport programme, out of more than 5,500 buses operating across the Kingdom, the director-general added.

He said that the expansion has been accompanied by regulatory and operational decisions, including fuel subsidies, sector restructuring, the extension of operating permits to 10 years and the reinforcement of routes under a clear mechanism.

Despite the progress, Kharabsheh acknowledged that challenges persist amid population growth and a rising number of daily trips, which require further fleet expansion and improved temporal and geographic coverage, particularly in densely populated governorates.

Increasing the service rate to one bus per 1,000 citizens instead of one per 2,500 is a key indicator of boosting reliance on public transport and reducing congestion, he said.

Kharabsheh added that work is continuing within available resources, with “qualitative” progress achieved in electronic payment, tracking and monitoring systems, moving towards a more efficient and reliable public transport network.

He noted that when LTRC began installing GPS tracking devices on buses in 2025, they were not previously equipped with such systems.

“Today, we have 1,000 buses fitted with these devices, which benefit operators, drivers and the commission alike,” he said.

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