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Conflict Incident Report

Land transport union closes down roads across Lebanon

Date of incident: 
July 25, 2018
Death toll: 
0persons
Number of Injured: 
0persons
Actors/Parties Involved: 
Lebanese Civilians

The Unions and Leagues of Land Transport closed down main roads across the country protesting against what it says is inadequate government supervision of competition from non-Lebanese drivers, according to local media reports.

Protests were called for from Zahle in the Bekaa up to north Lebanon’s Akkar, through Beirut and down to south Lebanon, with truck drivers and taxi drivers calling on the government to stop undocumented and unlicensed drivers from working in the country.

Caretaker Transportation Minister Youssef Fenianos listed three other main demands from the unions: for the Interior Minister to stop issuing permits to trucks that weigh more than 21 tons, for the Internal Security Forces to do more to stop the practice of taxis and vans using the same license plate, and for a public transportation plan to be passed by Cabinet - though Fenianos didn't go into the details of that plan.

Primary category: 
Collective Action [inc. protests, solidarity movements...]
Classification of conflict (primary): 
Policy conflicts
Conflicts associated with political decisions, government or state policies regarding matters of public concern, such as debates concerning law reforms, electoral laws, and protests of the government’s political decisions, among others.
Classification of conflict(secondary):
Conflicts of socio-economic development
Conflicts associated with lack of, or gaps in economic development, opportunities and access to resources.