Lebanese taxi drivers protest against rising fuel costs, threaten nationwide strike

Daily Star

staff

Thursday,

November

29, 2007

BEIRUT: Lebanese taxi drivers staged a demonstration on Wednesday to protest against the steady increase in the prices of petrol, threatening to block roads in the near future if the government refuses to subsidize the prices of fuel oil products. Dozens of taxi drivers carrying banners condemning the government's economic policies gathered for two hours in Beshara al-Khoury street to express their anger over the increasing petrol prices.

The leaders of taxi drivers' unions who spoke at the protest warned that that drivers could close all routes leading to the Energy and Oil Ministry if officials do not take action to curb the surge in oil prices.

One of the speakers said that the taxi drivers had opted to hold a protest instead of an open-ended strike because some factions could create trouble just to tarnish the image of taxi drivers.

But other union leaders did not rule out an open strike across the country in the future.

The taxi drivers' unions demanded that the government stabilize the price of gasoline at not more than LL20,000 for each 20 liters. The price of gasoline is now more than LL25,500 for both 95 and 98 octane.

Abdel-Amir Najdeh, the head of a taxi drivers' union, said that the government has two choices: either meet the demands or face the prospects of wide-scale strike.

"Rest assured that if we call for a strike, you won't find a single taxi or service in the streets," Najdeh said.

Meanwhile, the government raised the prices of gasoline, kerosene and gas oil by nearly three percent on Wednesday - the third increase in a month.

The Energy and Water Ministry has attributed the price increases to the volatile international market. It has also warned that the government cannot afford to subsidize the prices of oil and gasoline, and repeatedly stated that the government has not earned any tax revenues from oil since the price of petrol topped $96 per barrel.

According to the unions, there are more than 40,000 licensed taxi drivers in Lebanon.

"But many motorists are buying a red plate and sticking it on their cars without getting a proper license from the Interior Ministry," one taxi driver said.

He said he fears that the gasoline prices will reach LL30,000 per 20 liters in less than two months. - The Daily Star