Minister of Interior Inspects Services Provided to Travelers at King Hussein Bridge
Minister of Interior Mazen Faraya chaired a meeting at King Hussein Bridge this Sunday morning, attended by bridge officials and the CEO of Jett Passenger Transport Company. The meeting discussed the issues and complaints related to the electronic reservation service for passengers crossing the bridge, the inability to book for multiple days, and the exploitation and relatively long waits passengers face, which causes congestion and pressure on service provision.
The Minister emphasized to all officials and the CEO of Jett the need to receive and study all comments and complaints and develop appropriate solutions to address them. This reflects the basic idea of the bridge, as a humanitarian corridor aimed at facilitating the passage of citizens and Palestinian brothers in both directions, in accordance with humanitarian priorities and the purpose of using the bridge. In this context, Minister Al-Faraya examined the reality of these observations and complaints and listened to a briefing from bridge officials and the CEO of Jet. It was noted that the main cause of the problem is the early arrival of travelers at the King Hussein Bridge, prior to their scheduled departure time. This causes overcrowding and long waiting times until departure time. Furthermore, there are those affected by the platform's activation who attempt to raise concerns about its effectiveness.
On the other hand, it was revealed that there is a problem with the nature of the electronic booking service for travelers, which allows one person to purchase multiple tickets without being restricted to a specific number. The traveler does not access the platform and purchase tickets for themselves or their family, but rather purchases them from third parties, exposing them to exploitation. This results in tickets being sold at illegally high prices.
In addition, it was noted that there is a group of individuals who use the bridge daily for profit and various purposes, not closely related to the primary priorities of using the bridge. This increases congestion, delays passenger movement, and impacts the smooth flow of procedures, given the limited daily number of bridge users, according to the arrangements in place with the other party. To address these issues and complaints, the Minister of Interior directed officials at the bridge and Jett Passenger Transport Company to implement a set of procedures and instructions. These include limiting the number of electronic tickets per person to be purchased, specifying the card username, and requiring the electronic card to be issued in the traveler's name and to meet high-quality, forged specifications. The card must match the traveler's name on the card with the name on their passport, in coordination with Jett and the security agencies operating at the bridge. No one without a ticket will be allowed to enter the bridge area.
Minister Al-Faraya also requested that Jett reorganize its VIP service, making it an electronic service, organized through online booking via the platform, rather than requiring personal attendance at the service location. He also urged the development of facilities for this service and facilitating its procedures, in line with the desired goal.
In a related context, the Minister of Interior urged travelers to arrive at the bridge half an hour before departure time and not arrive early, to avoid long waits. This is aimed at reducing congestion and streamlining procedures until departure. Minister Al-Faraya also stressed the need for relevant agencies, in coordination with the Information Technology Directorate at the Ministry's headquarters, to work closely with the categories of individuals who frequently use the bridge for personal purposes, disrupting work and delaying regular travelers. He also emphasized the need to take a series of measures to restrict their illegal use of the bridge.
Minister Al-Faraya also directed the Governor of Balqa and the Director of the West Balqa Police Department to implement sustained security campaigns in the areas surrounding the bridge to apprehend those who violate the law and illegally exploit travelers. He also directed them to coordinate with the Shuna Al-Wusta Municipality to rehabilitate the area adjacent to the bridge and establish a parking garage instead of parking cars on the side of the road.
The Minister of Interior conducted a field tour of the bridge's various facilities and reviewed the services provided. He heard directly from travelers about the nature of the challenges and observations related to their use of the bridge. He emphasized the need for relevant stakeholders to address all observations and complaints, and that he would follow up on the measures taken in this regard on a timely basis to ensure optimal service to travelers. It's worth noting that Jett Passenger Transport announced the launch of a passenger reservation service for the King Hussein Bridge, using only electronic bookings, as of last June. The service was developed through a specialized reservation platform developed in coordination with the Ministry of Interior. The digitization of ticket reservation services has contributed to improving procedures in various aspects.