“An-Nahar” wrote: The federations and unions of the land transport sector in Lebanon expressed their astonishment at the decision issued by the competent Syrian authorities, which prohibits the entry of Lebanese trucks into Syria, with the exception of transit trucks that cross Syrian territory, describing the decision as “surprising.”
In a statement, it affirmed its “permanent concern for the best fraternal relations and cooperation frameworks existing between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic,” noting that “this decision reflects negatively and directly on the land transport sector, and affects a wide segment of drivers, industrialists, merchants and workers in this sector, especially those working in the field of transporting food and perishable goods, which cannot tolerate delay. This matter becomes more problematic in light of the entry of Syrian trucks into Lebanese territory and carrying out their work normally and without any obstacles.”
She added: “In this context, and after communicating with the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, and the Director General of Land and Maritime Transport in Lebanon, we were informed that the issue is under serious follow-up with the relevant Syrian authorities, and with his Syrian counterpart and the Deputy Prime Minister, with the aim of addressing the existing problem and reaching appropriate solutions that guarantee the interests of the two countries and prevent any negative repercussions on the movement of exchange and transport.” The unions called for “convening an emergency meeting that includes the relevant authorities in both Lebanon and Syria, along with the relevant unions, to develop a clear and comprehensive mechanism to regulate the movement of land transport between the two countries, including trucks, transit transport, tourist transport and other related activities, in a way that ensures the flow of work and preserves the rights of workers in this vital sector.” She concluded by saying: “We affirm our confidence that dialogue and joint coordination constitute the only way to address this issue, expressing her hope to reach, as soon as possible, fair and balanced solutions that are in the interest of the land transport sector and enhance cooperation between the two brotherly countries.”
In a related context, Lebanese truck owners and drivers, especially in the Jdeidet Yabous area, sent an urgent appeal to Rasamny in the wake of the Syrian decision, stressing that “it has directly affected the land transport sector and hundreds of Lebanese drivers who depend on this work as a basic source of livelihood.” They called for “protecting their right to work inside Lebanon, and stopping Syrian drivers from working in private cars and in the port of Beirut without legal oversight or regulation, because this has a negative impact on job opportunities and compliance with applicable laws.” They concluded their appeal by saying: “We call on you to intervene urgently and take the necessary measures to ensure reciprocity, regulate the transportation sector, and protect the Lebanese driver from unregulated competition, in a way that preserves his dignity and his livelihood.”
For his part, the head of the Refrigerated Truck Owners Syndicate, Ahmed Hussein, appealed to the official Lebanese side to communicate quickly with the Syrian side with the aim of excluding Lebanese trucks from this decision. Hussein contacted the Director General of Transport, who in turn informed Rasamny of the Syrian procedure. Rasamni informed Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mitri of the matter, who pledged to communicate with the Syrian side to restore matters to what they were before this decision, according to what Hussein said in a statement issued by him, praising the official Lebanese response by Mitri Warsamni and the Director General of Transport. Hussein pointed out, “The irony is that more than 200 Syrian trucks enter Lebanon daily, in an orderly manner and without any obstacles.”
He also pointed out that “the Syrian authorities’ adherence to this decision will necessitate the application of reciprocity from the Lebanese side, and then the harm will be greater for Syrian truck owners because 90 percent of truck traffic to Lebanon is Syrian.”
Regarding the damage to the Lebanese land transport sector as a result of obliging the non-Syrian truck to unload its cargo at the Syrian border crossings and transport it back into Syria with Syrian trucks, he explained, “It will result in an additional cost to exports, in addition to the risk of the goods being damaged.”
