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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The annual cost of traffic accidents in Jordan reaches $2 billion, accounting for 5.59 per cent of the GDP, said Transport Minister Hussein Al Souob on Wednesday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The numbers were announced at a ministerial committee meeting to follow up on the implementation of strategic transport projects, where Souob presented the main transport projects under implementation by the ministry, along with their cost, deadlines and progress.

The projects include the regulation of land transport drivers’ professional qualifications, which aims to set up a national system to train truck, public vehicle and school bus drivers in partnership with the private sector.

The minister stated that the government had formed a national assessment and evaluation board to administer training in partnership with the International Road Transport Union and the Arab Union of Land Transport.

The project will contribute to establishing a safe transport system in line with international legislation and is seeking to enhance the credibility of the Jordanian land transport sector, Souob said.

He noted that the GPS project to track public vehicles, currently in its second phase, will help control the use of vehicles, record daily violations and automate transfers and fuel filling orders.

The committee stressed the importance of the Bus Rapid Transit project to connect Amman to Zarqa, pointing out the lack of current proper infrastructure.

The projects also include the development of smart transport systems including a transport information bank, the “land harbours” in Maan and Madonah, and the Amman Civil Airport “Marka”.

*JT