LocationsPhoto credit: BlogBaladi Tripoli the second-largest city in Lebanon.
Under the framework of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and European Investment Bank (EIB) cooperation agreement, an initiative for a Quick Win project was implemented in Lebanon in order to tackle the country’s lacking public transport sector. The initiative is part of the Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI) in support of countries affected by the neighborhood crisis.
UNDP and EIB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2016 to provide a framework of cooperation.
EIB invited The UNDP “Institutional Capacity Development of the Railway and Public Transport Authority (RPTA)” to attend a working session on April 26, 2017 in Luxembourg to present Lebanon’s needs for a reliable public transport system.
Following the workshop, and in cooperation with Lebanese authorities, the city of Tripoli was selected to be the site of a public bus network as a Quick win project, to promote a sustainable, socially affordable and cost efficient transport system.
Through the Railway and Public Transportation Authority (RPTA), the EIB and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport expressed a mutual interest to proceed with the Technical Assistance (TA) for the Sustainable Urban Public Transport Investment Program (SUPTIP) in Greater Tripoli.
1 Million grant announced during a press conference at the Public Works and Transportation Ministry
The Bank has approved a grant of 1 Million Euros to prepare tender documents, and a detailed design to construct the Tripoli Bus Network. This grant was announced on February 28, 2018 during a press conference held at Minister H.E. Youssef FENIANOS’s office, which brought together an EIB delegation headed by Mr. Igor GREINDL, a UNDP delegation headed by Mrs. Celine MOYROUD, and the Director-General of the Railway and Public Transport Authority Mr. Ziad NASR.
After launching the grant, the EIB delegation, RPTA General Director, UNDP and heads of local municipalities visited Governor of Tripoli Judge Ramzi Nohra, to discuss the Tripoli public transportation network and the Beirut-Tripoli railway project. The meeting was followed by a site visit to Bahsas terminal station with the Tripoli municipality Head Mr. Ahmad KAMAREDDINE.
