Amman’s traffic struggle no longer tied to rush hour as calls for change mount

Amman’s traffic congestion has grown beyond traditional rush hours and now persists throughout the day, as citizens increasingly rely on private vehicles due to the lack of efficient public transportation.

Dr. Murad Al-Kalaldeh, professor of architecture and urban planning said the capital’s growing traffic problem is driven by a steady increase in the number of vehicles and the continued reliance on outdated traffic policies without substantial reform.

“The core issue is the absence of an efficient public transportation system,” he said, noting that this forces residents to depend almost entirely on private cars, overwhelming the city’s road infrastructure.

Al-Kalaldeh added that all vehicles compete for limited road space, while existing overpasses and tunnels are not being utilized effectively, further worsening congestion.

Commenting on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, he said the current population has significantly exceeded projections made when the project was first approved – as construction on the BRT project first started in 2010, before being halted and resuming around five years later.

He noted that while the BRT occupies a large portion of the roads it runs on, only around 2 percent of commuters actually use the service — a figure he described as disproportionate to the space it consumes.

Al-Kalaldeh stressed the need to strengthen decentralization and invest in developing other governorates to ease the growing pressure on the capital, as many citizens continue to relocate to Amman in search of services and employment.