A queue at a gas station causes a traffic jam in the summer of 2021. (Credit: Nabil Ismail)
With the start of the summer season in Lebanon and its influx of tourists and expatriates, many road users are lamenting heavy traffic on the country’s thoroughfares.
At the end of June, a massive traffic jam on the highway linking Beirut to the north, concentrated in Antelias, provoked widespread criticism on social networks and brought back to the fore of public debate the recurring issue of heavy traffic on Lebanese roads.
Unfortunately, traffic jams have always been part of everyday life in the country. What do motorists think, and what are the causes?
Moustapha experiences this situation every day. For this man, who works in the car parts trade and spends 10 hours on the road every day, “the situation is only getting worse” and “becoming more and more unbearable.”
Stuck in traffic jams in Hadath, in Beirut’s southern suburb, he said that “traffic jams are becoming more and more frequent, especially in downtown Beirut.”
“I believe that I lose a third of my day because of these traffic jams,” he added.
According to Ziad Akl, founder of YASA International for Road Safety, “there is no clear study to determine precisely whether traffic has increased or decreased since 2019 (i.e., when the economic crisis in which the country is mired first became apparent) in Lebanon. However, it is undeniable that the state of the roads and the lack of a public transport system and trains are fundamental factors contributing to the frequent traffic jams in the country. Based on seasonal observations, it is foreseeable that traffic on the roads will increase during the summer period, particularly with the arrival of tourists.”
Fingers pointed at the ISF
Several Lebanese interviewed by L’Orient-Le Jour, including Moustapha, pointed their fingers at the Internal Security Forces (ISF)’s lack of effective traffic management.
“From Dohat al-Hoss [south of Beirut] to the American University [of Beirut], via Raouche and Bliss Street, there isn’t a single policeman! In the traffic, hundreds of mopeds almost get run over. I felt like I was in a jungle, with no oxygen, surrounded by depressed and sad faces,” said an internet user in April.
Michel, 26, even accused the ISF of incompetence: “Yesterday, I passed through Hamra. I saw a policeman moving traffic coming from opposite directions at the same time. This is not an isolated case; we regularly see these police members, dressed in their uniform, phone in hand and cigarette in mouth, ignoring the drivers and thus causing more traffic than was already there initially.”
These criticisms are disputed by the ISF. A senior source at the organization told L’Orient-Le Jour that the police “do everything possible to be present on the roads and to organize traffic.”
The state of the roads
“However, the roads in Lebanon are not designed to accommodate a large number of vehicles, which leads to these traffic jams,” added the source.
When asked about possible projects to improve the state of the road infrastructure, a source at the Public Works Ministry told L’Orient-Le Jour that “God willing, a few potholes will be filled in on certain roads,” before blaming other institutions.
In particular, this source believes that the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), which is said to have received funds from the World Bank to rehabilitate roads, the Energy Ministry, which is responsible for public lighting, and the Environment Ministry, which is responsible for roadside waste, bear some responsibility for this issue.
None of these three institutions was available to answer our questions.
Irresponsible driving
The ISF source also said that “another major cause of traffic jams during the summer season is the increase in weddings and nightlife in general. People drink alcohol and drive irresponsibly, which leads to road accidents and more traffic congestion.”
The irresponsibility of drivers is also highlighted by Moustapha, who denounced the lack of lessons on the traffic law in schools and learning centers. He criticized “inappropriate behavior behind the steering wheel,” particularly with regard to priorities. “In Lebanon, none of this exists,” he said, referring to the training he identifies as essential.
A drop in traffic?
The ISF source claims that congestion on the roads is not as worrying as it used to be: “With the return of Lebanese expatriates to Lebanon, the number of cars on the roads has increased. However, this increase is not as significant as in previous years because of the crisis. Today, with unemployment rampant in the country, the high emigration rate, inflation and the sharp rise in fuel prices, the number of cars on the roads has fallen,” said the source. The official, however, added that there are no figures to back up his observation.
This observation is confirmed by Dany, owner of a taxi chain across Lebanon. He believes that the volume of traffic is lower than what it used to be during the summer. “Traffic is especially heavy during the day. After 7 p.m., the roads are empty. Even during traffic hours, it is acceptable, unlike before, when we had to turn off our cars in the middle of the road and wait,” he said.
Céline, who has not particularly noticed a drop in traffic, has opted for another solution: as a doctoral student at the Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ), she has completely changed her working hours to avoid the traffic jams.
“I used to leave home in Qornet al-Hamra, at around 8 a.m. The commute to USJ would take me almost an hour, sometimes more, in the past. On the way back, at around 5 p.m., the nightmare would start all over again. Now that I’ve changed my shift, I start around 2 p.m. and get home later. I save at least 30 minutes during each commute.”
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour. Translation by Joelle El Khoury.
