Kataeb lawmaker Elias Hankach emphasized on Wednesday that it was unacceptable to have 3,120 traffic accidents recorded in 2020 that resulted in 409 fatalities and 33 victims every month on roadways.

“Today we raise a series of questions to the government and the ministers of public works and interior because our people are fed up with losing youth lives to traffic and migration accidents. Statistics have become an obituary announcement and the main causes of the said accidents are maintenance neglect and non-existent lighting,” Hankach said at a press conference from the Parliament tackling traffic safety and road maintenance issues.

“Therefore, we are here today in company with the former President of Traffic Experts Union Elias Azzi who, along with other individuals and organizations, helped to enact the traffic law, to ask the interior and public works ministers about the warning signs for road intersections that are stipulated in Article 75 of the law,” he added.

“Additionally, we want to know what the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is doing to promote public safety in accordance with paragraphs 355 and 356 of the traffic code. Similarly, we want to question them about the accomplishments made over the course of nine years and the actions the committee took during that time," Hankach stated.

He emphasized that the NRSC had not convened for 9 years, thus nothing about what we had reached was surprising.

“The Committee consists of the Director General of the Traffic and Vehicles Management Authority, the Director General of Roads and Buildings, the technical education, the Ministry of Tourism, specialized officers, a representative of the  Council for Development and Reconstruction, Order of Engineers and Architects, the head of the Federation of Land Transport Unions and Union of Qualified Driving Schools, the chairman of the Committee of Supervisors of the social security authority, and other associations’ representatives,” he stated.

“What is the minister of public works plan to improve the road situation in Lebanon outside of the justifications we hear in the media? We are aware that there is no money and no ability to repair the infrastructure or light the roads, but there are donors who wish to help,” the lawmaker said

He stressed that ongoing traffic accidents were witnessed on a weekly and monthly basis with the number of victims approaching that of the Beirut port blast.

“We want neither conferences from the minister of Interior to deny nationalization decrees nor justifications from the minister of public works about silos’ demolition in Beirut’s port. They just have to carry out their duties, and we are waiting for their provision of prompt responses and action steps within 15 days. From my position as deputy I allow myself to question this government,” Hankach stated.

The lawmaker added that in terms of ensuring people's safety, traffic safety initiatives would be implemented in collaboration with associations and donors to repair potholes and light roads.

“We frequently receive pictures of stolen sewer holes covers, large stones replacing manhole covers on roads, etc. When the government is absent or officials are careless, such result in accidents,” he said.

“The absence-of-accountability concept is nowhere to be found and today we as deputies play our role in holding perpetrators accountable,” Hankach concluded.