Vans

Nasim Tamimi is telling us about the snazzy new busses being put into service in Amman. While I salute any modernization effort in the country (even in Amman), I would like to let people know what public transportation is like in the rural areas in the country, just to keep some perspective.

Traditionally, the government has rationed the distribution of licensed bus lines in the country. The reasons are to ensure that people working on these lines can make a decent living. More to the point, it gives the government a low-cost treat which it can use to buy favors from local political or tribal figures. So, it was common that the government would give away bus lines to members of parliament or their immediate relatives in exchange for burying a corruption case or for getting a vote passed. Because these lines were rationed, getting a license meant cash in the bank. All the owner of the new line needed to do was to sell it for a handsome profit, or to buy a bus himself.

Of course, who cares about the poor slobs who need to get from here to there? Because this situation is designed to be a cash cow (despite enforcing moderate tariffs on the passengers), most lines are underserved, with laughable sights of people stuffed into dilapidated old Coaster busses.

About five years ago, low cost diesel vans started flowing into the country. Any unemployed young man with about 10000 dinars can now buy one and provide a parallel service to the officially sanctioned busses. No matter that police constantly harass them and ticket them for illegal transporting of passengers. The income derived makes it worth while to continue this practice despite the fact that it is not officially sanctioned.

The vans provide a less comfortable ride than the new Amman busses, but if you want to go from Ba’oun to Ajloun at 9 pm, you can do it for a moderate fare and you will be dropped of where you need to go. Forget about the old Coaster. The old guy driving it is in his pajamas watching Al Jazeera.

Thank God for private enterprise.