Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, Ali Hamieh, held a press conference at the Railway and Public Transport Authority, discussing the issue of the French buses donated as a gift and their status for operation.
Hamieh began by expressing his condolences to the families of the victims of the Lebanese boat that sank off the coast of Tartus, Syria, and mentioned that he is in constant communication with the Syrian side. He responded to "all the accusations and rumors" raised by some with ill intentions regarding the fate of these buses, stating: "Here they are behind me, they have not been dismantled, sold, or donated to any political parties or security agencies as claimed by some." He noted that since May 23, after the buses arrived in Lebanon, they were directly transported to the Public Transport Authority by drivers who earn monthly salaries not exceeding 800,000 Lebanese pounds.
Hamieh mentioned that within a week, official documents were prepared and sent to the concerned administrations such as the Traffic Department and customs. He spoke about the difficulties he faced, saying: "After accepting the French donation by a decision from the Lebanese government, we were surprised that some official administrations wanted a legal interpretation regarding the entity to which these buses were donated, whether it was for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport or for the Railway and Public Transport Authority. And whether they are subject to VAT and customs fees." He added: "Today, this debate has concluded that these buses are exempt from taxes since they are a gift. Starting next week, their papers will be sent to the Traffic Department for registration, which had been inactive due to a two-month strike."
Hamieh expressed his annoyance at "how some blame me for not operating the buses, despite my efforts to secure this donation since I took office." He revealed that "the shortcoming lies within the tedious administrative routine in the Lebanese administration, leading to accusations of negligence against us." He clarified that "I am a minister in the government, not the government itself, and we as a ministry worked to bring in the buses, while others need to fulfill their responsibilities."
He disclosed that "a tender has been launched to operate these buses by securing private sector drivers," noting that "despite the low salaries of the authority's drivers, they expressed their willingness to operate the buses within Greater Beirut." He considered that "this is not the solution; rather, the solution was to launch the tender which will be published in the official gazette next week."
Hamieh warned that "the continuing rise in fuel prices necessary for operating the buses might hinder their deployment if the required fuel is not secured," condemning "any blame placed on the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, as the work of the ministry complements the state's work," calling for "concerted efforts within state administrations to ensure the success of this initiative."
He emphasized that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport "is the most contributing to the state treasury, with around half a billion dollars annually, yet its budget is only 39 billion Lebanese pounds," stressing that "addressing people's suffering and enforcing the law are among the ministry's priorities."
Responding to a question about whether there is communication with the Syrian Red Crescent regarding the victims of the sunken boat, Hamieh confirmed that "coordination is ongoing with the Syrian Minister of Transport, Engineer Zuhair Khazim, who has shown full cooperation and positivity, and communication has occurred with the Lebanese Red Cross which coordinates with the Syrian Red Crescent." He reiterated his condolences and regret "for the deterioration of conditions that pushes people to escape in search of a livelihood, falling into the hands of human traffickers who transport them illegally."
On another note, Hamieh reiterated his welcome "to all donations offered by some for maintaining and rehabilitating some roads under the ministry's jurisdiction," confirming that "the ministry's doors are open to everyone."
