The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) plans this month to release a new tender to replace heads of the traffic lights in the Capital with new LED ones, at total cost of JD100,000.
President of the Traffic Lights Division at the Municipality, Engineer Ahmad Khawalda said the tender will be concluded within the coming two months, during which GAM shall replace heads of 70 traffic lights, out of 120 operating in Amman.
It is worth mentioning that GAM has started replacing heads of the traffic lights in Amman in 2008, using the new LED heads. Khawalda said the new LED technique is environment-friendly, cuts the electricity consumption by 70%, and enjoys a long operational durability extending to, at least, five years, which helps in reducing maintenance cost and efforts. The new technique also provides a clearer lightning both day and night, which raises levels of public safety.
GAM has successfully experienced the new technique for the first time five years ago, on the traffic lights located at the junction of Mecca Al-Mukarrama Street and Saad Bin Abi Waqas Street, in Al-Rabiya region.
Regarding the traffic jams around the Capital during the Holy Month of Ramadan, Khawalda stressed that GAM is working on three daily shifts for the control and surveillance purposes of all traffic lights, in coordination with the Traffic Department. He said that all the required procedures are being followed according to the size traffic at each traffic light.
GAM has launched last year the second phase of the automatic control system of traffic lights, and the first phase of televised inspection cameras.
The automated system can control most of the traffic lights around the clock, helping in reducing traffic jams by 40% as well as time of transportation by 33%, and delay by 46%. The televised cameras, meanwhile, facilitate in identifying the reasons behind the traffic jams on junctions, through the direct televised control of the concerned areas. This will help in providing immediate proper solutions. The televised system can store the daily traffic movements for, at least, two weeks.