Beirut: Prime Minister, Dr. Nawaf Salam, on Wednesday presided over a meeting at the Grand Serail, devoted to discussing the worsening traffic crisis in Beirut and other Lebanese regions.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the meeting was attended by Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Brigadier General Ahmad Hajjar, Director General of Internal Security Forces, Major General Raed Abdullah, Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud, Gendarmerie Commander, Brigadier General Jean Awad, Beirut Police Chief, Brigadier General Imad Al-Jammal, and other security officials.
The meeting reportedly addressed the key causes of the country's traffic crisis, including limited Internal Security Forces' personnel, deficient preparedness and equipment, the absence of organized public transportation, and the accumulated problems with the mechanical inspection system, inactive traffic lights, and ineffective activation of parking meters.
Several urgent steps were agreed upon to address this issue, most notably: strengthening coordination between the Ministries of Interior and Public Works to rehabilitate road infrastructure ahead of winter and school reopening, reactivating out-of-service traffic signals at a number of vital points in Beirut, improving the deployment of traffic personnel in the capital and strengthening field readiness, improving the vehicle inspection system to ensure effectiveness and transparency, and implementing a gradual plan to expand the effectiveness of public transportation in Beirut and the regions.