jordan pulse -

​The National Free School Transport Project launched on Sunday in the Southern Badia region as part of a two-year, JOD 5 million government initiative involving several ministries and official entities.
​Spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, the project aims to provide safe and free transportation for public school students—particularly in remote areas where residential communities are far from schools—in an effort to ease access, improve attendance rates, and enhance transport safety standards.
​In its initial phase, the project deploys a fleet of 120 buses serving approximately 61 schools. The service transports more than 9,000 students along with over 900 teaching and administrative staff across four governorates—Aqaba, Ma'an, Tafileh, and Karak—extending from Al-Qatraneh down to Aqaba.
​The buses are equipped with onboard supervisors, GPS tracking systems, surveillance cameras, and a mobile application allowing parents to monitor their children's commutes in real time. The fleet will operate one to two morning rounds and two afternoon rounds daily.
​Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Mahmoud Hiasat, stated that the initiative serves as the model for a broader national program set to expand gradually across the Kingdom. He noted that relevant authorities are refining operational logistics following initial feedback from the pilot phase, specifically regarding route optimization across the Southern Badia's vast and scattered terrain. Hiasat emphasized that the service will remain fully subsidized by the government at no cost to families.
​Minister of Education and Human Resources Development Azmi Mahafzah previously highlighted that the long-awaited initiative is starting as a pilot program ahead of a wider rollout. He added that the project also creates local employment opportunities by recruiting drivers directly from the Southern Badia communities.