A New Chapter for Public Transport in Lebanon

Last week at the Motor Show 2025 in Beirut, one vehicle stole my attention – not a luxury car or a futuristic EV, but an electric bus with a wheelchair lift.
For the first time in a long time, I felt something rare in Lebanon’s transport sector: hope.

But this moment didn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s part of a bigger story that started in 2022.

A Sustainable Transport Vision Takes Shape

In 2022, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with the support of the Municipality of Jbeil andThe Ministry of Interior, launched a major initiative to transform mobility in Lebanon.
The project set out to introduce a fleet of electric public buses on the Jbeil–Beirut line, supported by renewable-energy charging stations inside Jbeil’s municipal depot.

The Strategy: Clean Energy + Better Service + Real Accessibility

Introducing modern electric buses as pilot projects in Jbeil while building Lebanon’s first renewable-energy charging infrastructure and creating a full e-mobility strategy.

The goal is simple : Clean, efficient, modern public transport and ACCESSIBLE for Lebanese residents and visitors.

A bus that:

  • Accommodates wheelchair users safely
  • Aligns with international accessibility standards
  • Sends a clear message: Public transport must be for everyone.

Seeing an electric bus equipped for wheelchair users at the Motor Show shows that the vision is evolving — not just cleaner transportation, but inclusive transportation.

A Message from Accessible Lebanon

UNDP’s pilot projects are designed to produce real data, real lessons, and real examples that other municipalities across Lebanon can adopt. If expanded nation wide, accessible electric buses could finally reshape mobility for thousands of people with disabilities — and for millions of Lebanese who deserve a modern transport system.

The electric wheelchair-accessible bus we saw this week is more than a vehicle—it’s a symbol of what Lebanon can achieve. A reminder that a country without barriers is possible, built one station, one ramp, one bus at a time.