BEIRUT — Beirut's governor, Marwan Abboud, decided to ban motorcycles from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. within Beirut's administrative area, with some exceptions subject to certain conditions, the Beirut Municipality's Public Relations Department said in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, the decision will be implemented starting Feb. 24.

The governor's decision follows an increase in robberies and pickpockets in Lebanon, often carried out using motorcycles. A security source told L'Orient Today earlier this week that 87 violent robberies were recorded in January, up from 66 the previous month, marking a 32 percent increase. Pickpocketing has surged even more dramatically, with 63 cases in January 2025 compared to 35 in December 2024, a rise of 80 percent. When compared to the monthly average for all of 2024, these figures show even sharper increases, with robberies and pickpocketing up by approximately 85 percent and 133 percent, respectively.

As of 2022, 289,000 motorcycles were registered according to the private firm Information International, but this figure represents only about 20 percent of the number of motorcycles on Lebanese soil, as most of them are unregistered, local newspaper Nidaa al-Watan reported on Friday.

“The number of motorcycles has clearly increased in the past two years, with the rate of importation rising to about 50,000 bikes per year or more, bringing the approximate number of bikes to about one and a half million,” Mohammad Chamseddine, a researcher at Information International, told the newspaper.

Exemptions

The list of exemptions from the ban includes motorcycles belonging to "various security agencies, public administrations and institutions, municipalities, municipal unions, independent institutions and diplomatic missions."

Moreover, it does not apply to motorcycles used by private companies and institutions, tourism companies, restaurants that provide delivery services regularly, as well as news and media agencies, journalists, photographers, newspapers and magazines. This applies whether these motorcycles are owned by the company or by individuals working for it, providing that the drivers carry cards proving their employment after 7 p.m., stamped by the company or institution, and accompanied by a valid residency card for foreigners, on the condition that the motorcycle meets all legal requirements."

Also excluded from the ban are "motorcycles belonging to medical and nursing staff, pharmacists, engineers, fire brigades, civil defense, the Red Cross, health authorities and workers of institutions whose nature of work requires them to keep their employees beyond the hours of the ban, provided they show proof of this."

Moreover, the statement added that motorcycle riders who are not exempted from the ban and who are required by extreme necessity to be on the road after 7 p.m. must submit a written request to the governorate office accompanied by legal identification documents, stating a compelling reason for why they need to drive at nighttime. The request will then be studied and a decision will be made regarding the possibility of granting them an exceptional permit.

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Reactions 

L'Orient Today contacted several motorcycle riders to hear their reactions to the new decision.

Hamad Tleiss, a man who frequently drives his motorcycle in Beirut, told L'Orient Today that he strongly opposes this decision.

"There are a lot of people who use motorcycles and do not have any other alternative as it avoids traffic and allows for people to reach their destination faster," he said.

"This decision will create a lot of problems for owners of motorcycles and especially those who work in Beirut," he added. 

Although he opposes the motorcycle ban, Hamad supports making motorcycle registration mandatory. 

Meanwhile, an employee who works with Toters, a Lebanese mobile application that connects customers with food and groceries, expressed an opposing view on the decision.

"It is a good decision that helps combat robberies and pickpocketing, I hope the state implements this and does not leave a single motorcycle during the night," he said.

Asked about the fact that some people's work relies on motorcycles, he said that their work is mainly during the day and the decision only applies at night.

The delivery driver finally said that he had been stopping his work and returning home every day at 9 p.m. due to the robberies happening. 

Tarek, a Beirut resident who falls within the exempted categories, said that he will likely get the permit to be able to drive, hoping that "it will be easy and smooth to get."

Commenting on whether he supports the decision, he said, "Theoretically, it might be a way to reduce robberies, but we still have to see how it will be implemented."