The “Chtoura-Jeb Jenin” joint transportation line was officially launched in a pilot project aimed at enhancing the presence of public transportation in the Bekaa region and relieving the burdens of transportation on citizens, in preparation for its expansion and increasing the number of buses and lines in Rashaya and the Western Bekaa.
The project was launched during a ceremony at the invitation of the Union of Municipalities of the Plain and the Beheira, and in the presence of MP and member of the “Democratic Gathering” Wael Abu Faour, the General Director of Railways and Combined Transport Ziad Shea, along with representatives of the MPs and the Mufti, the District Commissioner of the Western Bekaa and Wissam Nesbih Rashaya Nabil Al-Masry, the heads of municipalities and unions, and a crowd of official and local events.
Representative Wael Abu Faour confirmed that the project begins with running two buses in Rashaya and two others in the Western Bekaa, stressing that the success of the experiment depends on full adherence to schedules and quality of service by the Joint Transportation Authority, in addition to the role of municipalities and civil society in encouraging citizens to use them. He explained that the project does not target the private transportation sector or public car owners, but rather seeks to integrate with them, pointing out the readiness to secure funding to establish decent waiting stations that protect passengers from weather conditions and ensure regular flights. He also thanked Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny for their support, pointing out the importance of connecting the line to the public transportation network in Chtaura to reach Beirut and other regions.
For his part, the Director General of Railways and Combined Transport, Ziad Shea, considered that the step comes with the support of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Works and the follow-up of MP Abu Faour, stressing that public transport is a shared responsibility that requires spreading societal culture due to its importance in light of economic crises and the cost of fuel. Shea revealed that the new line will begin operating as of next Monday, with a program that includes two morning and two evening trips, with the possibility of expanding the fleet in the future, especially with the arrival of new batches of buses.
In turn, the head of the Union of Sahel Municipalities, Muhammad Al-Majzoub, pointed out the importance of the return of public transportation, which recalls the experience of the 1990s during the era of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, calling for continued development coordination and support for the agricultural sector in the Bekaa. The head of the Federation of Beheira Municipalities, Iskandar Baraka, confirmed that the operation of the “Mashghara-Jeb Jenin” and “Qaraoun-Chtoura” lines meets a real need for the people of the region, while the mayor of Jeb Jenin, Khaled Al-Haj Ahmed, welcomed the initiative, hoping to expand it to include all the villages of the Western Bekaa to reduce the burden on students and employees.
