GAM to spend 5 million/KM on "Poor's railway" instead of BRT!

via alrai newspaper

عمان - محمد الدويري - قال مدير دائرة النقل والمرور في امانة عمان السيد عبد الرحيم الوريكات ان الامانة تعتزم انشاء نوعين من سكك الحديد في عمان اولها خط النقل السريع وموقعه داخل الجزيرة الوسطية والاخر خط سكة اما يكون فوق الارض او تحتها بحسب الدراسات.
واضاف الوريكات في تصريح لـ''الرأي'' ان الامانة ستطرح خلال شهرين عطاء الدراسات والتصميم للمشروعين الذي تصل كلفة الاول 5 ملايين دينار لكل كيلو متر فيما تصل كلفة الاخر 20 مليون دينار لكل كيلو متر.
وبين الوريكات ان خط النقل السريع الذي يطلق عليه ''سكة الفقراء'' سيكون ضمن مسارب خاصة تأتي في الجزيرة الوسطية للشارع وستمتد المرحلة الاولى من شارع الجامعة الاردنية الى المحطة فيما تشمل المرحلة الثانية شارع الاميرة بسمة وثم يربط الدوار الخامس باشارة وادي صقرة ثم المدينة الرياضية.
اما مشروع سكة الحديد، قال الوريكات ان السكة ستمتد من وسط البلد الى المحطة وشارع الملك حسين ثم شارع سليمان النابلسي و شارع شاكر بن زيد الى اشارات وادي صقرة

Important Note: Apparently, Al-rai's reporter missed things up, and the GAM will be implementing BRT in Amman. DETAILS HERE

In short, the Greater Amman Municipality is planning to build a couple of urban railway tracks in the capital, the 1st will be similar to a tramway (if not actually one) in a separate lane in the middle of the streets, and will be called "Poor's railway" and will be connected Al-Mahatta to University of Jordan, and later extended to the 5th circle via King Abdulla Gardens.

The 2nd project will be an underground metro (& maybe onground in some areas) from Al-Mahatta via downtown and Wadi Saqra street to King Abdullah Gardents.

I'm very much into the 2nd project, especially that the area is narrow & needs such a project.

But i don't understand this "Poor's railway / tramway" thing!
1st of all is the name! which is SOOOOOOOOO underrated for such an important and dynamic project. and its not only me mentioning that!

While on the other hand, the HUGE cost of the project raises a big question mark! 5 million JD / KM is a HUGE amount of money. and instead of having all the mess from such a project, and all the years needed to implement it (& the glitches taken from the zarqa light railway project that didn't see light until now), and all the money to spend.

A small simple rapid solution can be implementing BRT instead!
BRT: Standing for "Bus Rapid Transit" is a broad term given to a variety of transportation systems that, through improvements to infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling, attempt to use buses to provide a service that is of a higher quality than an ordinary bus line.

Thus, we can make the same lanes, but with asphalt instead of a railway, with the same stations and ticketing and so ... & have Big Hybrid buses running through it.

& there you go, the entire project done in a couple of months, and with the cost of 2 KMs or less! & pretty much easily extensible.
Like this!

& the buses can be even as big as this!


and the web is just FULL of BRT plans .... here are some blogs even!

More on CMTC's fake financial reports.

Commenting on yesterday's post, which was a quoted economic analysis made by Mr Hasan Al-Shobakee, from Alghad newspaper about the financial situation of the CMTC (The Comprehensive Multiple Transportation Company), the major urban public transportation operator in the capital Amman, and which was branded lately as “autobus”. And no, i didnt forget to link it to autobus.jo, its just that the domain name advertised on the buses never was and still, a domain without an operating website.

A lot of financial issues were published in the article, summarizing here in English (since the article was in Arabic) some of the facts that the company's financial report, made by Amwal invest, was a complete fake out for the actual company situation, the entire set of numbers was different in the Social Security Dept's assessment report according to which the Social Security Dept withdrew from the company (considering the tight relations between Amwal Invest and the major owners in CMTC – Abu Khader Automotive).

So, from personal loans thrown on the company's budget, even to loans taken for buses maintenance and rehabilitation (which wasn't even used), to the “Convema” (a non existing brand) buses that where but from another company by AK automotive which has build the buses at the Free Zone upon Mitsubishi Canter pickups chases and engine with over 71,000 JD bus each, with a total of 1.07 Million JD, financed in leasing by AK automotive's own leasing company. Even though those buses dont even cost 40,000 JD (a number estimated by the Social Security Dept in their report apparently), especially since we are talking about low quality materials, plastic windows, and no safety dotations (not even ABS, a fact that those buses were made by the company at the free zone in 2004, and not allowed to be soled inside Jordan because of this fact!). And finally to the fact that the CMTC acquisition of Asia Transport Co was made with 18.9 million JD, which the actual amount didn't exceed 7.7 million JD!

With an end of the story regarding the introduction of CMTC in the Amman Stock Exchange earlier this year, where it was said that stocks were sold with 18 million JD in this introduction, while the actual amount was 8 million JD. That is after both, their attempt of faking out financial reports as above failed in attracting people to buy the company's stocks, as well as the image makeover of their buses and branding them as “autobus” didn't get that much success, a an external makeover in which they attempted to hide the bad quality of service and miserable situation of the buses.

Since about the bad quality service i have already talked several times and can keep on talking. This time i want to give out a small random sample of observations on what is more hidden and away from the eyes of my dear luxury car drivers and riders.

Photos are from my own collection, as well as courtesy of Ehab Hakawati and Ro'a Eliwat. and those are just a small sample of what our eyes catch daily!


The marked is the convema buses mentioned above


Most of the buses have tight spaces for passengers, due to the fact that the company squeezes more rows of seats than the actual number


No Comment


and of course, in a rush hour, where the bus is almost full on feet as well, imagine standing beside a door with a broken window!


Some Digital displays are not working at all


while others are broken despite being new! and you can only guess on what route this bus is moving, and talk with the driver sign language!


and lets not forget the miserable hygienic situation inside the buses

Messiness of Urban Public transportation in Amman

هذه التدوينة متوفرة أيضاً باللغة العربية هنا


I've wrote once before, in another post, on another occasion how did the Urban Public Transportation in Amman became "Worse Than Ever".

That is, apart from much other occasions writing about urban public transportation in Amman, always depending on personal experiences or related people's experiences.

And the story continues, and Messier than ever, and even on the most important routes in the capital operated by the CMTC, and even in front of the management and owners of the CMTC.

Time: Yesterday, 19-8-2008. at 4:19 PM
Place: Amman, Al-Haramein intersection (Al-Kilo), specifically at the Bus Station on Mecca Street before the intersection, on the southern edge of the road (pretty much adjacent to Abu Khader Automotive building, where the management offices of the CMTC are located).

2 Routes pass by that bus station, Medical City – Raghadan (Route Nr 43), and The Western Circular Route (Nr 59).

At that very moment i reached the station, there were around 10 people and counting.

4:26 PM
At the station there are around 15 individuals, a bus working on route 43 reaches the station (which was for the note, 1 of the newly introduced 116 Mercedes Elba buses, and had the digital route display TURNED OFF!), people wave for him to stop, and nothing, the bus continues while passing just by them!!! The bus seats were full, and some people were standing, but there was space for more standing people. Some waiting passengers were upset, others decided to take a taxi.

4:40 PM
15 – 17 people waiting at the station, as some people appeared, and others left by Taxis, far away in the street a bus on Route 43 appears, but when getting closer it decides to get through the tunnel under the intersection.... The waiting passengers started laughing ironically on their situation.

4:45 PM
A bus working on the Western Circular route (Nr 59), which i was waiting for, reaches the station. That is, after 25 minutes of waiting a bus whose frequency is said to be 15 minutes, and the rest of the passengers remained there waiting for the Raghadan bus which is said to have a frequency of 10 minutes.... in addition to another 7 individuals waiting for the same bus in the bus station situated after the intersection, who i saw while my bus was turning left at the round about.

All of this, just off the windows of the Comprehensive Multiple Transportation Company, whose buses were being waited by those people.

As a passenger, as well as person interested in the Ammani public transportation industry and service, and a user of it.... I don't need any more High-tech, i don't need no Smart nor Stupid card systems (which you have been promoting for over a year now with slow progress of implementation), I don't need Urban and environment friendly buses, nor ones on European standards. Nor i need beautiful painting that fakes out the truth behind the vehicle bodies branded catchy-ly as “autobus”

All I want is commitment and respect... without it, all the above are CRAP!

فوضوية النقل العام داخل عمان.. أكثر من أي وقت مضى

This post is also available in English HERE

في مناسبة أخرى، كتبت في إحدى تدويناتي عن النقل العام المدني في عمان، و كيف أضحى في وقت كتابة تلك التدوينة "أسوء من أي وقت مضى".

ذلك عدا عن مناسبات أخرى عديدة كتبت فيها عن النقل العام داخل مدينة عمان.. معتمداً في كل الأحيان على تجارب شخصية أو أناس مقربين.

وتستمر الأسطورة، و بفوضاوية أكثر من أي وقت مضى.. و حتى على أكثر الخطوط حيوية في العاصمة التي تديرها الشركة المتكاملة، لا بل و حتى أمام مرأى مالكي و إداريي الشركة المتكاملة للنقل المتعدد!

الوقت: البارحة ، 19-8-2008. الساعة 4:19 مساءاً

الموقع: عمان، تقاطع الحرمين (الكيلو). بالتحديد على محطة الباصات الواقعة في شارع مكة قبل التقاطع على الجهة الجنوبية (قرب مقر مجموعة أبو خضر للسيارات، و التي تحوي أيضاً إدارة الشركة المتكاملة للنقل المتعدد).

يمر من ذلك الموقف خطان للنقل العام، المدينة الطبية – رغدان (خط رقم 43) ، و الدائري الغربي (خط رقم 59).

كان في تلك اللحظة التي وصلت فيها المحطة قرابة الــ 10 أشخاص ينتظرون، و غيري يستمر بالقدوم..

4:26

في المحطة قرابة الـ 15 شخص ... يصل باص يعمل على الخط 43 (بالمناسبة كان أحد الباصات الــ 116 التي أدخلت مؤخراً للخدمة، و شاشة الخط كانت مطفئة و لا تعمل)، يقوم الناس بالتلويح له للوقف و لكنه لا يتوقف!!!! و يستمر في المسير!! كان الباص ممتلئة مقاعده و لكن كان يوجد مكان للوقوف فيه.

بعض المنتظرين انزعجوا بحكم طول انتظارهم.و البعض قرر ان يركب تكسي.

4:40

في المحطة قرابة الـ 15-17 شخص بحكم أن أناس جدد أتوا لينتظروا الباص بينما آخرين غادروا. يبدوا في الأفق باص قادم يعمل على الخط 43، و لكن، و عند اقترابه قرر أن يدخل في النفق، و بالتالي لم يكن في وسع المنتظرين في المحطة سوى الضحك سخرية........... الله بعين، اللي استنى نص ساعة بستنى ساعة.

4:45

يأتي باص يعمل على خط الدائري الغربي (59) الذي كنت أنتظره، بعد 25 دقيقة انتظار لباص يحكى أن تردده كل 15 دقيقة، و بقي ركاب خط رغدان الذي يحكى أن تردد باصاته كل 10 دقائق في المحطة ينتظرونه ... كما كان غيرهم (حوالي الـ 7 أشخاص) ينتظرونه أيضاً في المحطة التي بعد التقاطع، و الذين شاهدتهم أثناء دوران الباص الذي ركبته للدوار.

كل ذلك حدث أمام مكاتب إدارة الشركة التي ينتظر أولائك الناس باصاتها.

كـــراكب و كشخص مهتم بالنقل العام في عمان و مستخدم له ... لم أعد أريد تكنولوجيا، لا أريد بطاقات ذكية و لا غبية (تعملون لها دعايات لأكثر من عام على الفاضي)، لا أريد باصات حديثة و لا صديقة للبيئة و لا حسب المواصفات الأوروبية. و لا دهان خارجي لائق و مزيف للحقائق المخفية وراء الهياكل مع إسم تجاري للأوتوباص!

كل ما أريد هو التزام و حياء ... فبدونه لا فائدة من كل ما سبق.

McDonalds UJ reopens, with Free Internet :)

After the fire incident that happened with McDonalds, University of Jordan branch last march. McDonalds seemed to renovate the entire place and make some major changes in it.

Last week, the branch has reopened its doors, and with new added values for its customers, especially taking into consideration the place where this branch is located and the concentration of students in the area. So they have installed several PCs with Free internet :) also, Free wireless will be available soon.

So I guess in several days, we will be on the map of the world wide "McWireless" and its also not a McInternet cafe like this one in Sweden, where they charge 1$ for 30 Minutes (will, this was back in 2003)

The new arrangement in the store is pretty nice as well, though i didnt like the big LCD thingy with Rotana Clip on it... I felt it a sort of a copy cat!

Smart move McDonalds Jordan, and i'd for sure prefer a McWireless than a McDoos Mr moey :D

Dabouq's peaches and apricots are the best!

Yes, Dabouq's peaches and apricots are the best I have ever tasted. Mouth watering, tasty, and so ... naturally ... unfake! (like the products available around in the market).

Why do those fat money people buying and building in Dabouq are wasting those pleasurably amazing trees, and building hotel-sized villas to live in them ... alone!

some of them care only about having more and more cement, more and more rocks ... like if they are burying their selves alive!

Others might add to that a forest of palm trees! Palm trees are not for dabouq!!! Go have a villa in Azraq or Mafraq or Ma'an, and put palm trees there!

Just take a look on how many trees were (or could have been if they werent), in place of just several villas around Dabouq.

Anyway, in case you pass by there anytime, and see those kids selling their products, stop by and grap some from them, they are awesome, and half the price of the fake products at hypermarkets. You need to support those locales against the temptation of selling their lands to multi-millionaires.