Wild for wheelies

With over 1.3 million registered cars, plus thousands of unregistered vehicles as well as a significant number of Syrian cars, Lebanon’s roads are seriously congested, especially in Beirut. With no major developments planned, public transport is not going to cure this ill, nor is there likely to be any impetus for bicycle lanes to be put in place for people to huff and puff around the city carbon free. The solution for many has increasingly been scooters and motorbikes. Yet despite the rising sales — estimated at around 500 a year — increased motorbike use is being hindered by the lack of implementation of a proposed traffic law that would enhance safety on the country’s notoriously anarchic roads, and secondly, by the fact bank loans for motorbikes are not as competitive as those for cars. “For the near future there are no magical expectations, but the sector will grow slowly