Hello, I am Aya Albsoul, the Education Abroad Intern at Amideast. Since starting my internship, I noticed the proximity of the Amideast building to a Bus Rapid Transit stop, and I began using it a lot to and from work. Transportation in Amman is exceedingly difficult if you do not have a car, and expensive if you want to only use Careem and Uber. The new Amman Bus system, if understood, offers a cheaper, easier, and safer method of transportation. I am writing this blog to help people who want to save money and time to use the Amman Bus system.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) الباص السريع

The BRT is a new system, it was launched in 2021 and Jordanians have been waiting patiently for it for years. The BRT is extremely safe and reliable, it has surveillance cameras, free Wi-Fi, and spaces for people with special needs. So far, the bus has one route and two lines, but it is expected to expand in the upcoming years. Because it is still new, the system is a little unfinished, there are many bus stops that are not named or numbered, and the bus numbers are not reliable and sometimes you have to ask the bus driver for additional information or rely on the application. However, for most of it, the Amman Bus application gives a reliable amount of information to use the system and shows you where those bus stops are.

How to use the BRT?

Download the Amman Bus App
Buy a Ticket (3 Ways)
1. If you buy a ticket or a bus pass, it will work on both the BRT and the Amman Bus. You can buy and charge a card at the main BRT stations: The Jordan Museum Terminal, University of Jordan Station, Sport City Station, and Swaileh Terminal. Bus passes are 1 JD plus the amount you want to charge the pass with. Each bus ride costs 0.55 JD, so it is always recommended to have more than 1 JD on your card so you would be able to go to and from the places you want. There are also machines to help you charge and buy bus passes.
2. You can also charge your Bus Pass online using the application. Each card has a number on the back and if you enter it in the Card Operations sections of the application, you can charge it without going to any station.
3. The best option of course is to buy a QR code ticket on the app using a credit card, this way you will not have to pay 1 JD for the card, and you will have your ticket always with you (since it will be on your phone), and you can charge it and use it whenever you please.

Bus Routes

The BRT currently has only one direction and two routes with 25 stops, the information on those routes is on the Amman Bus App and you can find all these bus stations listed there on the map. Usually, people go by major landmarks on the way, here are some of the most important landmarks that you might need on those two routes:

Bus 99 BRT (Swaileh Terminal - Jordan Museum Terminal):
Major sites on this route in the order of this direction includes: Swaileh Terminal, University of Jordan, Sport City Circle, King Abdullah Gardens, Wadi Saqra Intersection, Arab Medical Center, Amideast, Ras Al Ain Park, Greater Amman Municipality and The Jordan Museum Terminal.
Bus 99 BRT (Jordan Museum Terminal - Swaileh Terminal):

It includes the same landmarks except in the opposite direction: The Jordan Museum Terminal, Greater Amman Municipality, Ras Al Ain Park, Amideast, Arab Medical Center, Wadi Saqra Intersection, King Abdullah Gardens, Sport City Circle, University of Jordan, Swaileh Terminal.

These are the 25 BRT stops. Photo credit: Albsoul, 2022.

How to use the Application?

First you must put in your phone number to get a message that connects the app to your phone. Choose a language for your app, either English or Arabic.
You will get to the Main Page which looks like this:

3. You can check your card balance in the Card Operations section, by adding the number that is on top left side of the back of your card to your app.

4. After checking your balance, you can charge your card through the App using a credit card

5. You can charge both your QR code tickets on the app using a credit card

6. The application will also show you any bus stops near you that appear as white dots or a purple bus icon.

7. The app will also show you POI (Points of interest) in Amman and how to get there, but unfortunately this feature on the application does not work so far, as well as the trip planner.

8. If you press on a bus stop on the application (on the white dot), it will show you how far the bus is from that stop, it usually goes at 5-minute intervals from 6 am until 10 pm.

On the Bus

To get on the bus, you need to stand next to a bus stop which will have a purple sign that says BRT.

2. BRT stops are usually placed on the BRT lane, which is a lane in the middle of the street used only by the Bus Rapid Transit.

3. You enter the bus through the front and scan your card or QR code on the scanner at the front.

4. In Jordanian culture, it is sensible for women to sit next to women, and men next to men. You will notice Jordanians also give their seats to any elderly people who enter the bus.

5. Some people, especially the elderly who do not know how to use technology, will be asking people on the bus for help to know when to stop. And they also might ask you to help them get on or off the bus. This is completely normal and if you do not know what they are asking you can always ask the bus driver to help them. The buses are very safe and have surveillance cameras in them so there is no need to worry.

6. When the bus approaches your desired bus stop, press the Yellow Stop button which will be reachable wherever you are on the bus and make sure the bus driver sees you. You can then leave for your desired destination.

The Amman Bus باص عمان

The Amman Bus is remarkably similar to the Bus Rapid Transit except it has no specific lane and covers a wider area. It aims to improve public transportation in the capital by operating 135 buses throughout 27 routes. Amman Buses are regular and frequent, all buses are clean, safe, and easy to use. Buses are blue and white in color, and they are equipped with an electronic payment system and an advanced security system like the BRT. Amman Bus is also accessible and can accommodate disabled and elderly passengers. The Amman bus routes cover areas in Amman including: (Al Madina, Abdali, Basman, Tareq, Abu Nuseir, Shafa Badran, Sweileh, Jubeiha, Tla Al Ali, Al Naser and Marka). All information on the routes and stops is found on the Amman Bus App, the stops have specific locations and they do not have signs and rely mostly on the app.

Maps
Amman Bus map shows the 27 routes and the bus stops, you can find the map of routes HERE.

How to use the map (Courtesy of the Amman Bus Website):

Check the table of routes first to see routes starting points and destination and select the suitable route number.
Check the selected route on the map to find the nearest bus stop.
Note that the routes are colored for ease of tracking only.
Solid lines are routes that go both ways (forward and backward).
Dotted lines are routes that go one way only.

What are Complications you Might Face While Using the Amman Bus?

Delays. The Amman Bus app strives to give an accurate description of when a bus will arrive. However, due to our Amman traffic, there might be a lot of delays which can sometimes reach up to 15 minutes during rush hour.
Unclear Bus stops. The Amman bus has no specific signs to stand next to while waiting for the bus. The application might lead you to a random stop next to a restaurant and you would have to be visible for the bus, so it stops for you. With frequent usage of the bus, this becomes quite easy to deal with, but it is tricky at first.
Unclear Route. Some buses, (here I will use the example of Bus 34 North Terminal-Marj Al Hamam) pass by the same bus stop on both routes. The bus has no indication which route it will take, since they are both numbered 34, in these cases you will have to ask the bus driver to make sure which route he is taking. A simple question to the driver like “Marj Al Hamam?” would suffice to confirm the destination of the bus so you do not end up going to the North Terminal!

In conclusion, whether you are using the BRT or the Amman Bus, my advice is to always ask the bus driver to confirm the destination, and make sure you translate it into Arabic. For example, if you are going in the direction of the Jordan Museum to head to Amideast, ask him “Mut-haf Al Urdon?” and if the driver nods, then you are good to go!

Aya Albsoul is an Education Abroad Intern at Amideast Jordan.