Assessing the public participation initiatives in the planning and delivery of the Amman Bus Rapid Transit project

Abstract

Public infrastructure developments are designed to improve the well-being of society. As they can have an impact on a large number of people and stakeholders, the processes of planning and delivering large-scale infrastructure projects are now expected to enable public participation. Due to pressures from international and developmental bodies, expanding opportunities for public participation is now also being encouraged in developing countries, albeit there is little research available on how to effectively implement such participatory strategies. This paper proposes a framework for assessing the implementation of public participation strategies employed in the planning, appraisal and delivery of major infrastructure projects in developing countries, using the Amman Bus Rapid Transit project as a case study. The aim of the paper is to assess the public participation initiative in the planning and delivery of the Amman Bus Rapid Transit project. The research methods employed include a wide review of relevant literature and current policies, coupled with the collection of empirical data. The latter is based on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who are directly involved in the projects and an online questionnaire, which provided insights into the public experiences of involvement in the planning and delivery of the Amman Bus Rapid Transit project. Analysis of data conducted through the framework developed, finds that the public participation strategy implemented for Amman Bus Rapid Transit is rudimentary and fails to address the public’s concerns with regards to the project. These findings confirm that there is a need for the government to extend beyond the informative approach by providing opportunities for key stakeholders and the public to actively participate in deliberations throughout the project lifecycle. This form of increased engagement can improve trust between the public and governments, allowing for the successful delivery of future public transport projects in Jordan.