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This is what taking the local bus in Lebanon 🇱🇧 looks like! 3$ for two people to go from Beirut to Batroun.
Watch how this influencer shared his journey. 
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Public transportation plays a vital role in connecting communities and fostering sustainable urban mobility. However, the question often arises: Why isn't public transportation free in Lebanon? In this blog post, we'll explore the economic considerations and practical reasons behind charging fares for public transportation services in Lebanon.
Financial Sustainability:
Public transportation services require substantial financial resources for day-to-day operations, maintenance, and ongoing infrastructure development.
Charging fares contributes to the financial sustainability of these services, ensuring they remain reliable and accessible to the public.
Operational Costs:
Running an efficient public transportation system involves significant operational costs, including fuel, maintenance, salaries for staff, and infrastructure upkeep.
Fares help cover these operational expenses, allowing for the provision of a reliable and well-maintained public transit system.
Fees are around: 40,000-250,000 L.L
Budget Constraints:
Like many countries, Lebanon faces budgetary constraints, necessitating careful allocation of funds to various essential services.
Offering free public transportation would require alternative funding sources or diverting funds from other critical services such as healthcare, education, and social programs.
Investment in Infrastructure:
Building and maintaining a robust public transportation infrastructure, including buses, terminals, and stops, demands ongoing investments.
Fares contribute to generating revenue for these infrastructure investments, ensuring the continuous improvement of the public transit system.
Public Services Funding:
Funds collected from public transportation fares can be part of the overall funding for essential public services, contributing to the betterment of society as a whole.
Fair Distribution of Costs:
Charging fares ensures that the costs of public transportation are distributed among those who directly benefit from the service.
This creates a more equitable system compared to funding public transportation solely through general taxes, where non-users would also contribute.
While the idea of free public transportation may seem appealing, the economic realities of operating and maintaining an efficient system in Lebanon underscore the necessity of charging fares. By doing so, the public transportation system can remain financially sustainable, ensuring its continued contribution to the country's urban mobility and overall economic well-being.
Public transportation services require substantial financial resources for day-to-day operations, maintenance, and ongoing infrastructure development.
Charging fares contributes to the financial sustainability of these services, ensuring they remain reliable and accessible to the public.
Operational Costs:
Running an efficient public transportation system involves significant operational costs, including fuel, maintenance, salaries for staff, and infrastructure upkeep.
Fares help cover these operational expenses, allowing for the provision of a reliable and well-maintained public transit system.
Fees are around: 40,000-250,000 L.L
Budget Constraints:
Like many countries, Lebanon faces budgetary constraints, necessitating careful allocation of funds to various essential services.
Offering free public transportation would require alternative funding sources or diverting funds from other critical services such as healthcare, education, and social programs.
Investment in Infrastructure:
Building and maintaining a robust public transportation infrastructure, including buses, terminals, and stops, demands ongoing investments.
Fares contribute to generating revenue for these infrastructure investments, ensuring the continuous improvement of the public transit system.
Public Services Funding:
Funds collected from public transportation fares can be part of the overall funding for essential public services, contributing to the betterment of society as a whole.
Fair Distribution of Costs:
Charging fares ensures that the costs of public transportation are distributed among those who directly benefit from the service.
This creates a more equitable system compared to funding public transportation solely through general taxes, where non-users would also contribute.
While the idea of free public transportation may seem appealing, the economic realities of operating and maintaining an efficient system in Lebanon underscore the necessity of charging fares. By doing so, the public transportation system can remain financially sustainable, ensuring its continued contribution to the country's urban mobility and overall economic well-being.
