Lebanon transport unions warn of escalation over rising fuel costs

Transport unions and workers in Lebanon are warning of escalating social unrest due to rising fuel prices and the increasing cost of living. In Tripoli, bus and mini-van drivers staged a sit-in, blocking roads leading to Abdul Hamid Karami Square to protest the financial burden on the sector.

Shadi Sayed, head of the Union of Workers and Employees Syndicates in North Lebanon, described the protest as a “warning to the government,” threatening to escalate to nationwide road closures if no action is taken. Drivers highlighted the impossibility of maintaining operations given the high costs of fuel, insurance, and vehicle maintenance against low passenger fares.

Simultaneously, the Student Transport Drivers Syndicate criticized the authorities for failing to address rising operational costs at the start of the new academic year, noting that the burden falls directly on families. The Loyalty Union for Transport and Communications Syndicates also issued a warning, calling for a reduction in taxes and fees on fuel and questioning the transparency of local fuel pricing mechanisms. The unions collectively warned that the country is nearing a “social explosion” if the government does not intervene to support the transport sector and protect citizens' purchasing power.