- Target:
- Minister of Interior
- Region:
- Lebanon
The Night Permit that allows motorcyclists in Lebanon to ride their motorcycles between 7:00 pm and 5 am is redundant, burdensome, unjust, and exposes tens of thousands of legitimate motorists to humiliation and abuse.
It is redundant because it requires the same legal documents required to registered a motorcycle in the first place.
It is burdensome because it requires an official testimony from employer that the biker needs to commute by motorcycle after 7 pm, which is impossible for freelancers to fulfill, most of whom depend on motorcycle commuting.
It is unjust and unfair because it imposes additional burdens on citizens who have already paid their taxes and legal fees, who are law-abiding, and who are cannot rely on the failed public transport system at night.
It is also unfair and unjust because of the ambiguity over the authority that is supposed to issue the permit. The two authorities in question are the municipality (in the area of residence or work) or the provincial governor (muhafiz). However, on many occasions, even with all documentation available, both authorities may refuse to issue the permit and insist that it is the responsibility of the other, subjecting thousands of motorcyclists to humiliation and to seeing their motorcycles impounded. This is followed by the burdensome process of releasing the motorcycle after paying hefty fines, in the hope that the motorcycle has not been damaged, destroyed, or having spare parts missing at the impound centers.
We the undersigned, call on the Lebanese Minister of Interior, Ms. Rayya Al-Hasan, to permanently abolish the Night Permit imposed on Lebanese motorcyclists on all Lebanese territories.
The Night Permit is redundant since it virtually requires motorists to submit the same documents already submitted for registration.
The majority of motorcyclists are unable to obtain the Night Permit either because the nature of their work and employment prevent them from acquiring documents issued by employers which justify their need for commuting in the evening, or simply because the municipalities and the provincial governors (muhafiz) frequently refuse to issue the Night Permit for no justified reason.
It does not in any way contribute to combating crime since crimes are rarely, if ever, committed on registered motorcycles.
It deprives tens of thousands of legitimate motorists from their right and ability to commute freely in the evening, especially freelancers and other professionals who must work more than one regular job to make ends meet. At the same time the public transport system is notoriously unreliable, especially at night.
It subjects tens of thousands of legitimately registered and law-abiding citizens to heavy and unfair fines, in addition to the humiliation and abuse at police checkpoints despite having paid all their taxes, legal fees, and dues.
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The Abolish the Night Permit for Motorcyclists in Lebanon petition to Minister of Interior was written by Jihad Samra and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.