Rana al-Khatib, founder of Moto Taxi Ladies, at the handlebars of her Yamaha Lexi 155 in Beirut. (Credit: Emily Carpenter/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Hamra, 5 p.m. The 3aj’a — the traffic so unique to Beirut — is at its peak. Drivers watch impatiently as a pink flash darts through the congestion. Two helmeted women weave between cars before disappearing at the next intersection. A few minutes later, they reach their destination. The passenger hands back her helmet, pays her fare, and hurries into a café."There’s always a little pleasure in overtaking cars stuck in traffic," says driver Rana al-Khatib, 35, smiling as she absentmindedly adjusts her stylish pink and blue hijab, creased from the miles ridden minutes earlier. Founder of Moto Taxi Ladies, a motorcycle taxi service reserved exclusively for women, she has just completed her tenth ride of the day. She still has two hours of work left before she can head home. She revs the engine of her Yamaha Lexi 155 and melts back...
Hamra, 5 p.m. The 3aj’a — the traffic so unique to Beirut — is at its peak. Drivers watch impatiently as a pink flash darts through the congestion. Two helmeted women weave between cars before disappearing at the next intersection. A few minutes later, they reach their destination. The passenger hands back her helmet, pays her fare, and hurries into a café."There’s always a little pleasure in overtaking cars stuck in traffic," says driver Rana al-Khatib, 35, smiling as she absentmindedly adjusts her stylish pink and blue hijab, creased from the miles ridden minutes earlier. Founder of Moto Taxi Ladies, a motorcycle taxi service reserved exclusively for women, she has just completed her tenth ride of the day. She still has two hours of work left before she can head home. She revs the engine of her Yamaha Lexi 155 and...