Just How Many Vehicles Are On Amman's Roads?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
2 comments
Perhaps you've noticed them...the guys in the orange vests planting little blue stickers on vehicles at busy intersection. I know that the question was raised earlier this month, who are these guys and what the heck are they doing plastering my car with stickers?
According to The Jordan Times, this "manual survey" is part of a campaign by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) to count vehicles on the capital's streets. GAM teams are targeting specific areas at high peak times, namely Zahran, King Abdullah II, Mecca and Arar streets.
Now the question begs to be asked, isn't there a safer, more efficient way of counting vehicles in Amman? I'd be happy with a solution that doesn't involve me trying to scrape blue stickers off my windshield. (I scrape them off to skew the numbers. They've counted me three time already!)
According to one motorist who commented for The Jordan Times, "There is a strong possibility of traffic accidents due to the way the project is being carried out," referring to how vehicles were stopping suddenly in response to GAM team members who were jumping from one car to another to place the stickers.
Safety aside, I can tell the GAM just how many cars are on the capital's roads: TOO MANY! The 1999 census claims 400,000 vehicles within the city limits, but my argument is that the exact number really doesn't matter when everyone knows that there are too many in the first place. If the GAM had asked me first, I could have saved them a lot of money with my 2-second assessment.
According to Yousef Borno, director of GAM's Traffic Engineering Department, limited use of public transportation by citizens and residents was the major cause of traffic congestion in the capital. I can tell you why: Amman's public transportation system is an unorganized, worthless mess. Spend a month reading Jordanian blogs and you find a handful of complaints about this very subject.
I commend the GAM for attempting to find an appropriate means for reducing traffic congestion, but they might be surprise at how taking care of little things would solve some of the problems. I'm talking about enforcing double parking laws, no parking zones, and the issues of taxis, buses and citizens stopping anytime in the middle of the road. Considering that half of our streets are taken up by stationary vehicles, freeing up some of the congestion may be as easy as making more of the street usable.
Source: The Jordan Times, April 12, 2007
According to The Jordan Times, this "manual survey" is part of a campaign by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) to count vehicles on the capital's streets. GAM teams are targeting specific areas at high peak times, namely Zahran, King Abdullah II, Mecca and Arar streets.
Now the question begs to be asked, isn't there a safer, more efficient way of counting vehicles in Amman? I'd be happy with a solution that doesn't involve me trying to scrape blue stickers off my windshield. (I scrape them off to skew the numbers. They've counted me three time already!)
According to one motorist who commented for The Jordan Times, "There is a strong possibility of traffic accidents due to the way the project is being carried out," referring to how vehicles were stopping suddenly in response to GAM team members who were jumping from one car to another to place the stickers.
Safety aside, I can tell the GAM just how many cars are on the capital's roads: TOO MANY! The 1999 census claims 400,000 vehicles within the city limits, but my argument is that the exact number really doesn't matter when everyone knows that there are too many in the first place. If the GAM had asked me first, I could have saved them a lot of money with my 2-second assessment.
According to Yousef Borno, director of GAM's Traffic Engineering Department, limited use of public transportation by citizens and residents was the major cause of traffic congestion in the capital. I can tell you why: Amman's public transportation system is an unorganized, worthless mess. Spend a month reading Jordanian blogs and you find a handful of complaints about this very subject.
I commend the GAM for attempting to find an appropriate means for reducing traffic congestion, but they might be surprise at how taking care of little things would solve some of the problems. I'm talking about enforcing double parking laws, no parking zones, and the issues of taxis, buses and citizens stopping anytime in the middle of the road. Considering that half of our streets are taken up by stationary vehicles, freeing up some of the congestion may be as easy as making more of the street usable.
Source: The Jordan Times, April 12, 2007
posted by Dave at 6:11 PM
2 Comments:
Actually they have installed some wires on many streets over Amman (the thick black cables) , yeah what were they thinking?
Counting cars manually? Only in Jordan! Wow I didn't know they were jumping on cars sticking stuff (I would punch them on the face if they stick anything)
Anyways Dave, do you drive a rented Hyundai accent or know someone do? Three days ago I came across the worst driver in whole Amman, he's American (you could hear him from a distance yapping on his cell phone) he was driving like crazy,really recklessly, changing lanes while holding (sucking) a cigarette in his mouth (which he throw on the street forcefully like your average tough Jordanian guy), he even passed the barricades on the "Dakhleyeh roundabout" the one connecting 3 circle and JU street in front of a policeman. He was clearly on a mission to save the Universe, or he has been completely "Jordanized", he deserves a Jordanian citizenship.
Firas,
Sorry, I don't drive a Hyundai, don't smoke, try not to talk on the phone while driving, and I only drive somewhat recklessly (such as I've had to "adapt" my driving to survive on Jordanian roads).
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