A photograph of municipal workers traveling standing in the open bed of a pickup truck has drawn criticism from a safety organization over workplace protections.
A circulating image showing workers employed by Ain al-Tineh municipality standing unsecured in the open bed of a moving pickup truck has prompted questions about public safety standards. The photograph shows the workers exposed to risk of falling or injury in the event of a sudden stop or accident, raising concerns about the municipality's compliance with traffic law and worker protection.
Ziad Aqel, founder of the safety organization Al-Yaza, criticized the transport method in remarks to the outlet. He stated that moving workers or goods in this manner is unacceptable, particularly when the responsible party is a municipality that is supposed to enforce traffic regulations and road safety rules.
Aqel said that Ain al-Tineh municipality, which is supposed to have a municipal police force to enforce traffic law, is instead violating that law through its own practices. He characterized the scene as a scandal reflecting on the municipality's leadership and members.
The problem extends beyond Ain al-Tineh alone, Aqel noted. Similar practices have been recorded in Beirut municipality and several other municipalities, he said, emphasizing that municipalities, as bodies charged with enforcing the law, cannot themselves be in breach of it.
Speaking on behalf of Al-Yaza, Aqel issued a call to Ain al-Tineh, Beirut, and other municipalities to apply traffic law to themselves and not only to citizens. He urged them to enforce the regulations uniformly across all road users and government bodies.
Aqel also called on the Interior and Municipalities Ministry to take action ensuring that worker transport respects safety conditions. He stressed the necessity of valuing human life regardless of nationality and preventing the transportation of people in ways that endanger their safety.
The situation reflects contempt for people's lives that should not be rejected by Al-Yaza alone, Aqel said, but by Lebanese society as a whole. He emphasized that people's lives and safety are at risk and that compliance with traffic law must be enforced.
The transport practices documented in the photograph contradict the legal obligations that municipalities bear under Lebanese traffic regulations. These regulations set minimum standards for passenger safety that apply to all vehicles and all persons, whether workers employed by government bodies or private citizens.
Enforcement of workplace safety standards and traffic regulations remains inconsistent across Lebanese municipalities. The visibility of such violations by municipal workers suggests a broader challenge in implementing uniform safety standards across public administration, one that Aqel's organization says requires intervention by the central government to ensure compliance.
