AMMAN — Hundreds of food trailer and passenger bus
owners protested against a
Saudi decision, which will potentially ban their vehicles from crossing the
eastern desert border overland to neighboring Saudi Arabia.
اضافة اعلان
The Saudi authorities have been debating the move
since last April. But on October 11, Riyadh announced that as of February 1,
2023, trailers with an operational lifespan of more than 20 years, and
passenger busses that are older than 10 years will be prohibited from crossing
the Saudi border from Jordan.
The decision is expected to inflict heavy losses on
bus and truck owners, who were already dealt a blow during the COVID-19
pandemic, when commercial activity was halted under lockdowns.
President of the
Jordan Truck Owners Association
Mohammad Dawood told
Jordan News that the protesters sought to “tell the
government that truck owners will be gravely harmed, and that it should act to
save this sector from an expected collapse”.
Nearly 6,000 trailer owners would be significantly
harmed, should the decision be implemented, Dawood stated.
He said that the trailer owners want the government
to contact its peer in Riyadh, and have it delay the execution of its planned
ban by five years. He maintained that trailer owners also want the Saudis to
facilitate visa and entry procedures for them, and their vehicles.
He recommended that the Jordanian government
“provide tax exemptions for those, who will have to replace their vehicles to
meet the Saudi conditions”.
“We demand a full tax exemption for a chance to
replace the old trailers,” Dawood elaborated.
Ministry of Transport Spokesperson
Ali Odeibat told
Jordan News that the ministries of transportation in Jordan and Saudi Arabia
agreed to carry out discussions between the Land Transport Regulatory
Commission (LTRC), and its Saudi counterpart in this regard.
For her part, LTRC Spokesperson Abla Weshah told
Jordan News that the commission has not received any response from the Saudi
side. Weshah refused to elaborate on the discussions further.
Overland cargo movement between Jordan and Saudi
Arabia makes up 58 percent of the total land freight in Jordan, according to
statistics by the Jordan Chamber of Industry.
JCI statistics also show that over 180,000 entry and
exit permits are recorded annually between the two countries.
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