The Ministry of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government has denied the news about an increase in service fares.
The National News Agency reported that the media office of Minister of Public Works and Transport Michel Najjar refuted claims made by some media outlets regarding the increase of the fare to 5,000 Lebanese pounds starting from March 1st. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport stated that the news about raising the service fare is unfounded, according to the confirmation from the President of the Union of Transport Sector Unions.
The statement explained that the issue of fare increases is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which coordinates with the Union of Transport Sectors to take necessary actions that consider the situation of citizens, the economic and financial crisis, as well as the conditions of public drivers.
Social media had circulated a statement from a group calling itself the "Public Drivers Committee," headed by Elia Youssef Ibrahim, demanding an increase in the service fare to 4,000 pounds and the taxi fare to 15,000 pounds, set to take effect on the morning of the 27th of this month. Some taxi drivers quickly raised their fares, leading to dissatisfaction and rejection from passengers. However, the controversy was brief, as it was addressed by Bassam Talys, President of the Union of Land Transport Unions in Lebanon, who confirmed in a statement that "there is no truth to what is being circulated. The decision to raise the fare solely rests with the Minister of Public Works and Transport." Talys also called on the Minister of Interior and Municipalities to instruct the relevant security agencies to pursue those fabricating and impersonating the drivers' committee.
