Private school bus owners stage protest in Tripoli
2/5/2026 12:18:00 PM
A number of licensed bus owners who transport private school students held a sit-in at the Rashid Karami Exhibition Grounds in Tripoli. The protest was joined by Shadi Al-Sayyid, head of the Union of Workers’ Syndicates in northern Lebanon, who emphasized that “the crisis in Lebanon requires addressing the problems faced by all sectors of society.”
Al-Sayyid noted that bus owners are often forced to pay fees to school administrations so that their buses can be officially registered for student transport. He stressed that “these bus owners are unable to meet these financial demands” and called on Interior Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Al-Hajjar, known for his sensitivity to the needs of the public, “to intervene and find logical, practical, humane, and legal solutions in their favor.”
“We are standing in solidarity with them today because they truly need support,” he added.
One of the bus owners, Mustafa Batikh, highlighted that “this crisis adds to the other challenges faced by bus owners across Lebanon,” urging the Parliament to enact “clear and beneficial legislation for all parties without affecting anyone’s income.”
He also called on the Interior Minister “to address this issue and initiate a process to resolve this crisis, along with the broader transportation problems in Lebanon.”
Al-Sayyid noted that bus owners are often forced to pay fees to school administrations so that their buses can be officially registered for student transport. He stressed that “these bus owners are unable to meet these financial demands” and called on Interior Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Al-Hajjar, known for his sensitivity to the needs of the public, “to intervene and find logical, practical, humane, and legal solutions in their favor.”
“We are standing in solidarity with them today because they truly need support,” he added.
One of the bus owners, Mustafa Batikh, highlighted that “this crisis adds to the other challenges faced by bus owners across Lebanon,” urging the Parliament to enact “clear and beneficial legislation for all parties without affecting anyone’s income.”
He also called on the Interior Minister “to address this issue and initiate a process to resolve this crisis, along with the broader transportation problems in Lebanon.”