When Manal Ghanem got off the bus at her usual stop in Beirut on September 20, she made sure to save her ticket.
As well as getting her to her destination, it promised a reward.
It offered the 32-year-old educator a discount at one of the capital’s popular restaurants, the Cafe Em Nazih, as part of an initiative to encourage more people to use the public transport network.
Started by Riders’ Rights in September to help allay the country’s fuel crisis, “Save and Ride” allows bus passengers to receive a discount at several businesses that have joined the project.
Riders’ Rights has long been a champion of public transportation, which the civil society organisation believes can help achieve “mobility justice".
“Transportation is a right,” Chadi Faraj, co-founder of the bus rewards scheme, told The National. “Our priority is to ensure that everyone has the same access to it.”
In 2015, Mr Faraj helped create the Bus Map Project, which charts bus routes across Lebanon to organise and simplify transportation.
Six years later, commuters are picking up the map “like it was just created”, he said.
“There has always been a stigma around shared transportation in Lebanon," Mr Faraj said. “And it’s our mission to set that right.”
The majority of the population in Lebanon has always relied on private cars. Many households, even modest ones, own multiple vehicles.
But Lebanon's unprecedented economic downfall has made fuel increasingly unaffordable and scarce.
“This crisis can be an opportunity for Lebanon to shift from cars to shared transport and walking,” Mr Faraj said. “It’s important that we take this chance.”
Apart from promoting shared transportation, which is increasingly becoming a popular topic worldwide in light of climate change, "Save and Ride" aims to support local businesses that have been affected by the nation's financial meltdown.
One of Beirut’s most prized bookshops, conveniently located next to a bus stop, is a partner of the initiative.
Halabi Bookshop is a family business that first opened as a grocery store in 1958, and was later transformed into a home for vintage and early edition books in several languages during the early 1990s.
More than 30 years old, Halabi Bookshop is a Beirut staple and a “bucket-list” destination for many, Lana Halabi said.
“We used to have people visit us from all over the country, but business is just not the same any more," the 33-year-old co-founder of the book shop told The National.
During the country’s lockdown, imposed in early 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, visitor numbers to the bookstore dropped. Loyal readers, though, would still order books to be delivered to their homes.
Now the fuel crisis has made it increasingly difficult for people to move around, or to splurge on delivery fees.
“We’ve got to a point where delivery prices are almost as expensive as the books, often more," Ms Halabi said.
The partnership with "Save and Ride" is still in its early stages, but it was formed with the aim of promoting shared transportation and driving customers back to the store.
“It’s too soon to tell how this will go, because the initiative is still new and it’s been challenging,” Mr Faraj said. “But if there’s a time to try to make a change, it’s now.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Abu Dhabi GP starting grid
1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)
8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)
12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
14 Sergio Perez (Force India)
15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
20 Lance Stroll (Williams)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
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500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
