Irbid, Jan 26 (Petra) – A meeting organized by the Irbid Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Irbid Municipality on Sunday explored strategies to boost commercial activity along Al-Hosn Street, which extends from the city’s central market area.
Merchants on Al-Hosn Street raised concerns about sewer system issues, citing foul odors emanating from stormwater drains, which deter shoppers and negatively impact business. They called for additional garbage containers and improved street lighting, as well as designated parking spaces for large vehicles transporting goods to facilitate loading and unloading.
They also emphasized the need for initiatives to negotiate lower shop rents to ease financial burdens and urged a reduction in trade license and waste fees to alleviate their costs. The merchants noted that around 90 shops have closed due to weakened commercial activity on the street.
Chamber President Mohammed Al-Shouha highlighted that revitalizing business on Al-Hosn Street would positively impact the local economy and create permanent and seasonal job opportunities. He affirmed the chamber’s commitment to working with Irbid Municipality to address obstacles and restore the sector’s vitality.
Al-Shouha added that the chamber will continue engaging merchants for proposals to study and implement in coordination with the municipality, aiming to revitalize the central market and stimulate commercial activity.
Members of the chamber, including Mohammed Al-Afouri, Waseem Al-Mas’ad, Ayman Al-Ghazawi, and Raed Al-Qur’aan, stressed the importance of leveraging the strong reputation of Al-Hosn Street’s shops and supporting its commercial sector in partnership with the municipality. They also underscored the need to improve street organization to attract shoppers.
Irbid Mayor Nabil Al-Kofahi said the municipality is working on multiple fronts to enhance commercial activity in the city. Efforts include addressing road infrastructure, increasing traffic capacity, and progressing with the planned “Autopark” parking project, for which bids will be opened this week.
He revealed that the municipality has launched the “Green Street” project to convert Cinema Street in downtown Irbid into a pedestrian-only zone, featuring widened sidewalks, decorative trees, canopies, and unified shop signs.
The municipality, he added, is focusing on improving infrastructure across the city, with particular attention to Al-Hosn Street. Plans include coordinating with the Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) to redirect some buses from the Jordan University of Science and Technology to the old Amman Bus Terminal near Al-Hosn Street to attract more shoppers.
While a full vehicle ban on Al-Hosn Street is unlikely, Al-Kofahi mentioned that the municipality might consider closing the street during holiday seasons to ensure smooth commercial activity. He also noted plans to beautify the street, provide public restrooms, and convert it to a one-way traffic flow to ease congestion.
The mayor announced that sidewalk upgrades and repairs will be implemented as part of a JD300,000 project to renovate the downtown area, enhancing its appeal as a commercial and tourist hub and improving services for citizens.
//Petra// AF
26/01/2025 21:37:00
