Tuk-tuk drivers stage sit-in in north Lebanon, Bekaa and Baalbeck

Tuk-tuk drivers in northern Lebanon, the Bekaa and Baalbeck staged sit-ins on Wednesday in response to a decision by the Interior Ministry to suspend tuk-tuk operations nationwide, citing safety and regulatory concerns, L'Orient Today's correspondents in the north and Bekaa reported. 

The sit-in in the Bekaa was at al-Jabali Square, at the Douris roundabout, the southern entrance to Baalbek city, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported. 

The protest followed a wave of enforcement actions by traffic officers from the Internal Security Forces, who detained dozens of tuk-tuks over the past week.

In Akkar, several tuk-tuk owners blocked the main highway at the Abdeh roundabout. Demonstrators condemned the ban, emphasizing that tuk-tuks are an affordable transportation option in underserved regions, where public transport is virtually nonexistent, our correspondent in the north reported.

The protest escalated into scuffles between drivers and local residents, leading to a state of chaos and paralyzing traffic in the area.

Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar had said earlier this week that tuk-tuks are operating without proper licenses and pose significant risks to public safety. “They are not classified as public transportation vehicles and must be regulated,” he said. However, critics argue that the ban disproportionately affects low-income communities and should be reconsidered in light of Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis.

Additonal reporting by Michel Hallak and Sarah Abdallah.