GAM Starts Rehabilitation of Al Bukharieh, Al Balabseh, and Philadelphia Souqs Next Monday
The Mayor of Amman, Engineer Omar Maani, recently announced that the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) would begin rehabilitation, renovation, and maintenance works on Al Balabseh Souq, Al Bukharieh Souq, and Philadelphia Souq, fixing the damage caused by the recent fire.
During his meeting with the market traders at GAM headquarters, Eng. Maani affirmed that the matter was being followed up, and royal directives have been issued to speed up the revitalization of commercial activities in the whole downtown area.
The Mayor stated that all rehabilitation, renovation, and maintenance works would be completed within 45 days, indicating that the work would be executed in phases, with some locations being prepared within 2 – 3 weeks of the starting date. He also explained that the tender was to be granted to experienced contractors to speed up the necessary implementation process.
During the meeting which was attended by the Manager of Amman City, Eng. Ammar Gharaibeh, and GAM Council member, Yehya Al Saoud, Eng. Maani revealed that GAM, in cooperation with the General Directorate of Civil Defense, will begin implementing, next Tuesday, a campaign on all shops on Talal Street to ensure that the necessary public safety requirements are available, thereby avoiding such a disaster from occurring again.
From another angle, the traders responded to Eng. Maani’s request that they form a committee of traders, to coordinate with the Head of Al Madinah district, Eng. Tahseen Al ‘Abadi, and to liaise with GAM. This is sure to speed up the rehabilitation and renovation works that all 3 markets are to undergo, and to deal with any emergency situations that may arise during the work process.
The Mayor expressed his sorrow that the fire had taken place, and reasserted that GAM would do its utmost to avoid the negative effects of the fire at the site as quickly as possible, as downtown Amman is historically and culturally important and, as such, should be maintained.
Eng. Maani urged traders from all 3 markets which are considered important downtown landmarks to cooperate with GAM and all pertinent parties, and to be patient, thereby allowing the rehabilitation works to run their course smoothly.
During the GAM meeting, the Mayor of Amman responded to the traders’ demands that some of the lesser damaged shops should be opened for business, stating that this could only take place if more caution is exercised to avoid the increase in damages and dangers, which, according to the technical reports, are less than expected. He added that the large amount of rubble would be cleared mechanically, ensuring that there are no traffic and pavement obstructions, and coinciding with the release of the technical committees’ results.
From another angle, a number of traders who spoke during the meeting praised GAM’s quick response to their requests, and GAM’s efforts since the fire first broke out to reestablish the status quo.
