Travellers arriving from Jordan reported today that the price of agricultural produce there had gone up, apparently as a result of the Israeli ban on vehicular traffic over the Allenby and Damiya bridges which previously served as the commercial links between Jordan and the West Bank. The ban was imposed as a security measure following last month’s explosion in Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda market which took 12 lives. Truck cargoes must be unloaded for inspection and then transported by porters to the opposite bank of the river. As a result, the once brisk trade between the West Bank and Jordan has come to a halt. Non-commercial traffic across the bridges was nearly normal yesterday although private vehicles were banned and their passengers had to cross on foot. Customs check points have been established about 250 yards from the Allenby bridge. A shuttle bus service has been established.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.