No sector in Lebanon has escaped chaos, and the latest development in this field is the import of old motorcycles without any oversight. The fundamental question is: how are these motorcycles being imported and registered? Recently, some motorcycle importers and traders have raised alarms regarding unfair and illegal competition due to the influx of large quantities of these motorcycles, some dating back to before 2000, which is contrary to traffic laws.
Article 278, amended by Law 7/2014, which came into effect on November 3, 2014, specifies the following:
1. The import of used motorcycles with an engine capacity of less than 125 cc is prohibited.
2. The import of used motorcycles exceeding an engine capacity of 125 cc and used ATV vehicles manufactured more than three years ago is prohibited.
3. Motorcycles that are over thirty years old and classified as antiques are exempt from the provisions of this article.
In this context, a prominent motorcycle trader revealed to "Akhbar Al-Yawm" agency that the old motorcycles are of Japanese origin, and their chassis numbers, consisting of 6 digits, are no longer recognized in any country, as they are now made up of 17 digits according to international standards. He points out that these motorcycles are imported through legal crossings and that there are sales centers in Beirut and its suburbs that openly trade them.
From what has been presented, many questions arise: how are customs transactions processed, where do their records come from, and is anyone engaging in unlawful activities and thus manipulating the paperwork? Most importantly, what about public safety?
