Amman – For Issam Al-Sarhan, a student who travels from Mafraq Governorate to Yarmouk University, getting to campus is no longer a journey that requires leaving home hours before his lectures or waiting for buses to fill up before departing.
Regular inter-governorate transport services have allowed him to rely on fixed schedules and more direct routes, saving time and effort while helping him better organize his academic day.
Al-Sarhan’s experience reflects a broader change in the daily travel routines of university students, as regular transport services between Jordanian governorates continue to expand. The number of users rose by 103% with the start of the university semester, highlighting growing reliance on these services and the importance of developing them to meet students’ needs and lecture schedules.
According to data from the Land Transport Regulatory Commission, the number of passengers using regular inter-governorate transport services increased from 99,414 during the second and third weeks of September, when universities were on holiday, to 202,133 during the corresponding period in October, following the start of the academic year.
This represented an increase of more than 102,000 passengers, taking into account the actual operating days in both periods.
The daily average also rose from approximately 9,900 to more than 20,200 passengers, while the number of trips increased by 38%, from 7,840 to 10,787 across the project’s 12 routes. The average number of passengers per trip climbed from around 13 to 19.
Daily Journeys with Less Waiting and Greater Reliability
Al-Sarhan, a Yarmouk University student from Mafraq Governorate, said the regular transport service on his route had reduced his reliance on multiple means of transportation to reach campus.
Previously, he had to leave home early to account for possible delays caused by waiting for buses to fill up and the lack of consistent departure times.
He added that having fixed and frequent departure schedules helped him organize his journeys around his lectures, both when travelling to university and returning home. The service also reduced his need to use private cars for hire, which he sometimes relied on to save time despite their higher cost.
In another account, Lin Bani Khaled, a postgraduate student at Al al-Bayt University from Zarqa, said regular transport had made a noticeable difference to her university commute.
She previously faced delays in reaching lectures, partly because of the time spent waiting for buses to fill up and collecting fares from passengers.
She explained that direct, regularly scheduled trips, combined with electronic payment services, free internet access and surveillance cameras, had made travel more comfortable. These services also allowed students to use journey time for studying while strengthening their sense of security.
Although she praised the compatibility of bus schedules with her lecture times, Bani Khaled noted that the lack of available trips after 5 p.m. on some days remains a challenge for students whose lectures continue into the evening.
Meanwhile, Abdulrahman Al-Khalil, a Zarqa resident, postgraduate student at Yarmouk University and employee, said the regular transport service on the Zarqa–Irbid–Yarmouk University route had made commuting easier from his residential area, which is served by buses operating along the route.
He explained that buses running at intervals of approximately 20 minutes had reduced waiting times. The service also allowed him to contact the transport operations officer to reserve a seat and obtain an estimated arrival time for the bus.
This is particularly important for him, as his university lectures usually finish at around 6:30 p.m.
Al-Khalil said the reliable schedule had helped him balance his work and academic commitments and increased his reliance on public transport instead of private vehicles, which he had previously used to save time.
Universities Drive Demand for Regular Transport
Operational data from the Land Transport Regulatory Commission show that routes serving university communities recorded significant increases in passenger numbers.
Passenger numbers on the Mafraq–Zarqa route rose from 4,503 to 46,042, while the number of trips increased from 389 to 1,193, coinciding with the return of Al al-Bayt University students to campus.
The Amman–Salt route, which serves students at Al-Balqa Applied University, also recorded a 73% increase in passengers, rising from 24,020 to 41,569.
In northern Jordan, the Jerash–Irbid route saw a particularly sharp increase of 423%, with passenger numbers climbing from 2,239 to 11,710.
The number of users on the Irbid–Zarqa route rose by 58.5%, from 12,479 to 19,781, while the Irbid–Amman route recorded growth of 28%, increasing from 26,944 to 34,546 passengers.
Demand for regular transport services also increased in southern governorates. The Tafileh route recorded growth of 168%, with passenger numbers rising from 3,120 to 8,371, while the number of users on the Ma’an route nearly doubled, increasing by 102% from 2,209 to 4,471.
Passenger numbers on the Qasr route rose by 23%, from 2,970 to 3,646, while the Karak–Amman route recorded an increase of 13.5%, from 7,320 to 8,309 passengers.
These figures reflect growing demand for the service across southern governorates following the start of the university semester.
The indicators point to a wider increase in demand for regular transport services with the beginning of the academic year. However, the figures cover all users of these routes, not university students alone.
In this context, Dr. Ayman Alimat, Dean of Student Affairs at the Hashemite University, said a large proportion of the university’s approximately 30,350 students rely on public transport for their daily commutes.
This is particularly true for students travelling from Mafraq, Irbid, Jerash, Ajloun, Salt and Madaba, as well as those from Amman and Zarqa.
Alimat said the Hashemite University closely monitors university transport services and works to improve schedule reliability and meet students’ needs. He noted that the university had observed continued improvements in students’ ability to arrive at lectures on time, in coordination with the Land Transport Regulatory Commission and operating companies.
Efforts are also underway to increase the number of buses during morning peak hours, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and afternoon peak hours, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., particularly on Sundays and Tuesdays, helping reduce overcrowding and delays.
Alimat explained that the university had assigned a member of the Deanship of Student Affairs as a liaison officer with the commission and operating companies.
University staff are also present at the three bus terminals to follow up on students’ comments and complaints, monitor delays and overcrowding, verify compliance with schedules and safety standards, and ensure that designated seats for students with disabilities are available on most buses.
He added that at the beginning of each semester, the university provides the relevant authorities with data on student numbers, their distribution across governorates and their departure points.
The information is based on details submitted by students during online registration and helps authorities organize routes and align services with actual demand.
Fare Support and Service Development
The impact of regular transport services extends beyond helping students reach their universities on time. It also affects the financial burden associated with daily commuting, particularly for those travelling long distances between their home governorates and places of study.
In this regard, Alimat praised the Royal initiative providing a 50% subsidy on university students’ transport fares. He said, according to his account, that Hashemite University students receive the highest level of support among students at Jordanian universities covered by the programme.
He added that the university is also working with operating companies and several donors to provide free transport cards to students in need, helping ease their financial burden.
For his part, Professor Muthher Abu Karki, Vice President for Administrative Affairs at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, said establishing a regular transport system between governorates represents an important step in developing the public transport sector.
He noted that such a system can help reduce costs for citizens and encourage greater use of public transportation.
Abu Karki also highlighted the importance of direct student-support mechanisms through electronic payment systems, which can help ensure that subsidies reach their intended beneficiaries transparently.
He said the university had provided the necessary facilities, including locations and electricity, in line with the requirements of the company concerned.
Alongside these efforts, Alimat stressed the importance of continuing to improve bus quality, ensuring regular maintenance and public safety, providing air conditioning during the summer, and checking vehicle and tyre readiness during winter, in addition to addressing the needs of students with disabilities.
Electronic payment, tracking and monitoring systems used in the regular transport project enable the commission to monitor passenger numbers, trips and operational indicators. This provides data that can help assess demand and adjust services according to actual needs.
With passenger numbers rising and students reporting improvements in schedule reliability and shorter waiting times, regular transport is becoming an increasingly important part of everyday university life.
However, sustaining this progress will depend on how well bus schedules match academic timetables, the availability of services during peak and evening hours, and expanding students’ access to reliable, safe and affordable transport.
