Nayrouz News Agency : The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have signed a technical assistance cooperation agreement valued at 380,000 euros to provide advisory services for the Al Mahatta multimodal bus transport hub in the municipality.

According to a joint statement, the advisory services will be financed through a grant under the bank’s Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), which supports the preparation of projects that improve the resilience of EU neighbours.

The agreement was signed on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by GAM in presence of EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou, Mayor of Amman Yousef Shawarbeh and a representative from the Ministry of International Cooperation and Planning, the statement said. 

The advisory services include a feasibility study and the design of a road map for the redevelopment of the surrounding areas. It also includes proposing a simple and pragmatic architectural response that integrates existing shops and other buildings and facilities within the area.

The Al Mahatta multimodal bus transport hub is part of the Transport and Mobility Master Plan of the Greater Amman Municipality and will contribute to addressing the logistical transport needs of the municipality until 2025, the statement said, adding that the hub is expected to offer easy transport connections, connect available transport means with the Bus Rapid Transport, create safe passenger flows and offer passenger-oriented services.

The EIB’s support for the preparation of the Al Mahatta project comes within the framework of the bank’s Urban Project Finance Initiative (UPFI) under the ERI. The Al Mahatta multimodal bus transport hub project will have "substantial benefits” in terms of enhanced urban transport in Amman, which is witnessing significant population growth, the statement said.

According to Shawarbeh, "the preparation of this study for the development of the transport centre and its urban surroundings is a continuation of GAM's efforts to develop the Amman Valley region and the previous associated projects for the development of the Faisal Square and the Hashemite Square, in addition to the general transportation link that extends to the fountains square and the station".

"The development of the infrastructure and logistical area of ​​the transport centre in the station is a first step for the development of the entire region, as the transport centre will stimulate the urban development of its surroundings in the various economic, tourism and public transport areas, which will contribute to the revival of the downtown area,” he added in the statement.

For her part, Hadjitheodosiou welcomed the signing of the agreement between GAM and the EIB, underlining "the importance of this grant in supporting the efforts of GAM to address Amman residents' needs by providing efficient, accessible and passenger-oriented transport services".

Dairo Scannapieco, Vice President of the EIB, commented on the agreement in the statement: "We strongly support the government’s plans to improve and upgrade the urban transport sector in Jordan. The Al Mahatta multimodal bus transport hub will address a pressing need to upgrade urban transport in the Greater Amman Municipality to support a safe and easy transport system. This new agreement will provide grant funding to support the preparation of the hub as part of the Economic Resilience Initiative”.