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The first phase of the Public Investment Program, presented by the Government of Lebanon to creditors and investors at the Cedar Conference (Paris 4), includes 114 projects worth $ 10.8 billion out of the 280 projects included in the program, , At a rate of 4 years per phase, with a total estimated value of about 22.9 billion.
The "Power Stations" project is ranked first and the second is "Rapid Transit Bus for Greater Beirut" and "Expansion and Rehabilitation of Rafik Hariri International Airport". Each project is valued at US $ 500 million, Of the total projects of the transport sector, the number of 24 projects, worth 7.381 billion dollars.
The project includes the construction and construction of 120 buses to serve 40 km of transport routes from the northern suburbs to the heart of Greater Beirut, as well as the work of 250 buses on the secondary roads between the main stations and the remote areas. "The project is expected to attract about 300,000 passengers a day and provide job opportunities in construction jobs for low-income Lebanese and Syrian refugees," according to the World Bank.
Al-Qaisi
In this context, the General met with the Director General of Land and Marine Transport Eng. Abdul Hafiz Al Qaisi, who confirmed that "the main problem is the adoption of the Lebanese citizen on the use of the small car, in his daily commute, so the alternative to the use of public cars is to rely on private cars This is due to the absence of a public transport plan organized in Lebanon. Those belonging to the poor and middle classes tend to buy private vehicles by taking loans from commercial banks.
Asked about the need for a public land transport plan, Al-Qaisi said: "There is a pressing need at the national level to create an integrated public transport network, as we see in European countries, where there is a modern public transport network. The project includes the purchase of 250 civilian buses to serve the Lebanese community, including those with special needs, as well as the purchase of 120 buses to serve 40 kilometers of dedicated routes. From the northern suburbs to the Greater Beirut city, with 911 waiting stations spread over 20 land transport lines, and a modern information system will be installed by providing the new buses with the advanced GPS system linked to a monitoring center.
In the second phase, the Greater Beirut city will be linked to the other governorates, namely Tripoli, Saida, Zahle in the Bekaa. In the third stage, Lebanon will be linked to a public network of land transport, Because the books of the contract, ready for practical application ».
We find it
Al-Lewaa also met with the head of the Land Transport Union in Lebanon, Abdel-Amir Najdeh, to find out his opinion. He said, "We look very suspiciously at this project. We ask who compensates materially for the category of taxi drivers. "The buses, the company to be awarded for this project, in the field of public land transport, the CDR has been marketing it for 3 years. If we enter the language of the numbers, there are 4000 van and 3000 buses, The city of Tripoli, and also there are 2000 large buses, which can accommodate up to 24 passengers and above, D 33,500 thousand cars a public taxi, working in various regions of Lebanon, what will they do with all those working in this sector, and where they will be employed? Especially that there is a significant decline in the movement of passengers by road, to the Arab countries through Syria, because of the security events in it ».
There has been a plan for public land transport since 2009 which was never implemented under the supervision of the Ministries of Public Works, Transport, Interior and Municipalities. Before Prime Minister Saad Hariri traveled to the Cedar Conference, he held an extensive meeting with him at the State Serail. Nine years ago, and we did not know what happened at the Cedar conference, of suspicious plans and projects, aimed at public transport in Lebanon. "
Talis
"We also had a meeting with the head of the associations and unions of the road transport sector in Lebanon," Bassam Talis said: "With total respect for those who worked to approve the" public investment program "of the Lebanese government, which was presented at the Cedar Conference, The international conferences on Lebanon, to inform the Lebanese people what happened at the previous international conferences, the pros and cons, because the Cedar conference, the Lebanese, 22 billion dollars, a new debt.
The Cedar Conference for Lebanon included its program as part of the general road transport plan in Lebanon, covering part of Lebanon, and all plans and projects prepared for this sector, for the benefit of a group of Lebanese who want to monopolize this sector.
The report on the land transport sector, issued by the Cedar Conference, was written literally: "to provide job opportunities for low-income construction workers, Lebanese and Syrian refugees." Is it meant that the Syrians will not return to their country? As long as they secured new jobs in Lebanon! It is necessary to approve a plan for public land transport, which has not been seen, and which is in the drawers, since 2009 ». |
