The US dollar is soaring and fuel prices are as well. Transportation fees have become a considerable burden, especially for the Lebanese University (LU) students who suffer silently from the continuous rise in such fees.
Most of them depend on public transportation at a time when the budget of the Lebanese University student going to their university exceeds their families’ salaries.
A number of LU students mentioned to Annahar that the fuel price has become very expensive and that they need about 2,400,000 LL to 3,000,000 LL per month to attend their lectures daily.
They considered that such amounts have become a substitute for the university’s negligible premium.
They added that university housing would be an ideal solution to the expensive transportation fees, but it does not have the appropriate conditions, such as hot water, cooling and heating devices, and so on.
Accordingly, they raised their voice to the administration and stressed that they are unable to come to the university constantly, due to the high transportation fees. So if attendance is mandatory, they will not be able to adhere to it more than 3 days a week.
In this context, the President of LU, Dr. Bassam Badran, said to Annahar that the only solution currently is providing public transportation for students as well as for other citizens via the French-donated buses that arrived in Lebanon.
These buses donated by France, and which were received on Monday by the Minister of Work and Transport, have for purpose to ease the commuting issue of the citizens and the burden on the sector.
Accordingly, Dr. Badran contacted the Minister of Work and Transport, Ali Hamiyah, to work on ensuring, in the transportation plan, that these buses pass next to the university campuses to facilitate the transportation of students.
“There is a tendency for the minister to take this request into consideration”, Dr. Badran reassured.
