The Lebanese Cabinet recently banned the use of diesel mini-buses and cars in a bid to decrease pollution. It will offer one million Lebanese pounds ($663) to drivers to replace their diesel engines and two million pounds ($1,327) for mini-bus owners.
The Cabinet also approved the exemption vehicles that are five-years old or less from registration fees and custom duties. Taxi drivers disapproved of the government’s rulings and are asking for the additional supply of two tanks of gas daily at half the market price in compensation.
There are about 1.2 million cars in Lebanon. Approximately 62.4 percent of families in Lebanon own cars and about 25 percent of automobile owners want to buy additional ones. New car sales dropped by 17 percent to 18,717 cars in 1999, while a total of 12,748 new vehicles were sold in the first 11 months of 2000. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
