Taxi drivers briefly blocked roads in northern Lebanon Saturday to protest the new traffic law that imposes heavy fines for violations.
“We will not abide by any part of the new traffic law and we will take to the streets to announce that we will not accept that the law is applied to us while those with private and illegal cars are working as taxis,” the head of the drivers’ union in north Lebanon Khaddoura Rbeidi said.
Protesters gathered at the main squares of Koura and Tripoli’s Sahat al-Tall, blocking the main roads with their vehicles for about an hour until police intervened to reopen them.
The drivers said authorities were exempting people who operate illegal taxis from the new traffic law who have connections. “This is known to everybody,” Rbeidi said.
“The new law is [biased],” he added.
The demonstrators shouted slogans against Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and the new traffic law, holding up fines issued to them costing between LL100,000 ($66) to LLL200,000.
They said they did not have enough money to pay the fines before the 15-day deadline, after which the amounts increase by 50 percent.
Police launched the new traffic law last month, significantly raising fines on all types of violations.
By Antoine Amrieh
