Statement from traffic safety associations

In view of the recent increase in the burden of traffic safety problems, and in sympathy with the chronic laxity that accompanied the performance of the main concerned institutions in the Lebanese administration, and after the election of a new president of the Lebanese Republic, and upon the invitation of the head of the Lebanese Observatory for Traffic Safety at Justicia, Dr. Michel Mutran, the first meeting was held at the observatory’s headquarters. Traffic safety associations in Lebanon with the aim of enhancing cooperation and discussion of the reality of traffic safety and prospects for improvement.

Dr. Paul Morcos, President and Founder of Justicia, Professor Ramzi Salama, Secretary of the National Council for Traffic Safety, and Engineer Rashid Sarkis, President of the Mobility for Lebanon Association, participated as guests.
The attendees agreed on the following:
First, a call to activate the work of the secretariat of the National Traffic Safety Council (Chapter Ten, Article 355 et seq. of Traffic Law 243/2012) by allocating the necessary funds in the state budget and strengthening the technical staff.
Secondly, resuming the meetings of the National Traffic Safety Committee.
Third, sharing the contents and results of the consultations on the traffic strategy for traffic safety that resulted from the World Bank-funded consultation project with private sector associations and working to approve them.
Fourthly and finally, the attendees affirm that the path of granting a driving license currently followed by the Traffic, Machinery and (Useful) Vehicles Management Authority is primarily illegal. Accordingly, the attendees call on the authority to adhere to the decision of the National Traffic Safety Committee regarding the contents of market education and trainer qualification curricula, which was approved on 7/9/2018.
The attendees emphasized keeping the deliberations open among themselves and continuing to put pressure on the concerned authorities in various ways to improve road safety standards and reduce the number of victims. They hoped that traffic safety would be a priority in the new era and congratulated the President of the Republic, His Excellency General Joseph Aoun, on assuming his new duties.