The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) affirmed on Saturday that sidewalks are designated for pedestrians and that rehabilitation works aim to provide a safer and more accessible environment, particularly for children, older people and persons with disabilities. The measures also seek to reduce the need for pedestrians to use the roadway when sidewalks are obstructed.
اضافة اعلان
The municipality continues to rehabilitate sidewalks and remove unauthorized uses and obstacles in residential and commercial areas to ensure safe, continuous pedestrian routes and improve public safety and quality of life across the capital.
The works include rehabilitating old sidewalks and improving connectivity between pedestrian routes, as well as assessing locations where technical and regulatory conditions allow sidewalks to be widened. The goal is to provide adequate space for movement and enhance pedestrian safety.
The municipality is also removing unauthorized encroachments, including vehicles parked on sidewalks, barriers, street stalls and commercial extensions, as well as the use of pedestrian walkways as private parking spaces or for valet parking services.
Regarding trees and plants obstructing pedestrian movement, GAM said each case is assessed technically, with priority given to preserving vegetation whenever possible. Obstructing branches are pruned when this is sufficient to clear the walkway, while trees or plants that can be relocated are moved. Removal is undertaken only when providing a safe pedestrian path by other means is not possible.
The works also include rehabilitating areas affected by obstacles after their removal, in line with the nature of each sidewalk, while taking into consideration suitable planting locations and tree species when constructing or upgrading sidewalks.
GAM stressed that the applicable sidewalk regulations and procedures would be enforced against unauthorized uses, with sites monitored to prevent repeated violations. It emphasized that using sidewalks for purposes other than those designated, in a way that obstructs pedestrian movement or endangers their safety, constitutes a violation requiring corrective action.
As part of efforts to regulate the use of public spaces, the municipality is also monitoring cases in which public parking spaces are reserved or citizens are prevented from using them outside certain shops and establishments, while taking into account private and designated parking spaces and applicable traffic restrictions.
The municipality reaffirmed its commitment to keeping citizens informed about work locations, implementation stages and results, while following up on public observations and reports to help sustain improvements and keep sidewalks safe and accessible to pedestrians.
