Ramtha – Work has begun on the rehabilitation of the bus departure and arrival terminal in the city of Ramtha, as part of a project aimed at reorganizing public transport movements and improving infrastructure and services for passengers.
Residents hope the rehabilitation will address shortcomings at the terminal, particularly those related to waiting facilities, restrooms and the organization of vehicle movement.
The rehabilitation work began following arrangements between the Land Transport Regulatory Commission, Greater Ramtha Municipality and the relevant authorities to ensure that bus services and passenger movement continue throughout the construction period. Designated parking areas for public transport vehicles have been provided to prevent disruption to users.
Mohammad Al-Alawneh, director of the Land Transport Regulatory Commission’s Irbid office, said the rehabilitation project has a value of approximately JD130,000 and is being funded from the commission’s budget. The project is scheduled to be completed within 165 days.
Al-Alawneh said the project includes redistributing lanes and traffic islands, paving the terminal, and defining entrances and exits. It will also involve installing shelters and seats and constructing a restroom, helping reorganize public transport movements and improve services for passengers.
He noted that the terminal currently serves 151 public transport vehicles, including 136 small vehicles. Routes operating from the terminal connect Ramtha with other areas and governorates, underscoring the importance of upgrading the facility and improving its readiness to handle daily transport activity.
He said the rehabilitation is part of the commission’s ongoing plans to develop the public transport system and departure and arrival terminals. Other projects are also being implemented in Irbid Governorate and its districts, while the commission continues to periodically assess public transport services to improve their quality in cooperation with relevant institutions.
Al-Alawneh added that, in coordination with the contractor, the commission has designated parking areas within the terminal vicinity for public transport vehicles during the construction period. The aim is to prevent passenger disruption and maintain the smooth movement of transport services.
Coordination is also underway with Greater Ramtha Municipality and the Ramtha Traffic Department to regulate traffic during the implementation of the project.
Al-Alawneh said the terminal would be logistically ready should the planned regular public transport project in Ramtha be introduced, highlighting its central location and proximity to various services.
For his part, engineer Ahmad Al-Shaqran, technical assistant to the head of Greater Ramtha Municipal Committee, said the project aims to organize, arrange and facilitate the movement of buses and service vehicles inside the terminal, while rehabilitating its facilities to meet the needs of public transport users.
He added that the terminal serves the city of Ramtha and villages across the district, connecting them with governorates including Amman, Zarqa and Mafraq. The project will reorganize routes, lines and services inside the terminal, including restrooms and designated locations for kiosks.
According to Al-Shaqran, the project is also important because of Ramtha’s commercial nature and its role in receiving visitors from different parts of Jordan. Employees in various sectors and university students also rely on the terminal for transportation, increasing the need to rehabilitate it and improve its facilities.
He said the municipality had allocated alternative parking areas during the implementation period, stressing that ongoing coordination with the Land Transport Regulatory Commission aims to improve public transport services and enhance the quality of services provided to residents.
While the current project focuses on rehabilitating the existing terminal, Al-Shaqran revealed that separate studies are underway to establish a new departure and arrival terminal with higher standards. The project remains at the stage of searching for a suitable location after a previously proposed site was cancelled following consultations with residents.
Residents: Organization and Services Are a Priority
Residents who spoke to Al-Ghad said rehabilitating the terminal would improve the experience of public transport users. They stressed that the project should go beyond improving the terminal’s appearance to providing essential services and organizing the movement of buses and passengers, particularly because the facility is located in the middle of a busy commercial area.
Resident Mohammad Al-Dhayabat said the terminal had suffered from a lack of organization and lacked several basic services, despite being located in the middle of a busy commercial market with a constant flow of people.
He called for the rehabilitation work to be accompanied by better organization of vehicle movement and the provision of parking spaces for private vehicles. He noted that the terminal serves as a departure and arrival point for other governorates, while Ramtha receives visitors from different parts of Jordan, particularly because of the Syrian goods market.
Al-Dhayabat said improving the terminal and its services was therefore important for both the city and public transport users.
Abdel Khaleq Al-Darabseh, a resident of Al-Turra in Ramtha District, said he regularly uses the terminal to travel to his job in Amman, as well as to access institutions and services in Ramtha with his family.
Al-Darabseh said the terminal currently lacks several services, including restrooms, passenger waiting seats and traffic signs. He also called for better organization of public transport movements.
He expressed hope that the rehabilitation work would address these shortcomings and make the terminal more organized and better suited to passengers’ needs once the project is completed.
Residents hope the rehabilitation will make daily travel easier and more organized, particularly for employees, students and residents of villages across the district who rely on the terminal to reach their workplaces, universities and various services.
They stressed that the project’s importance will ultimately depend on the tangible improvement it brings to the experience of public transport users after the work is completed.
Source: Al-Ghad
