BEIRUT — On March 15, 2018, the World Bank approved a $295 million funding package to reform the transportation sector in Lebanon. It will fund the Greater Beirut Public Transport Project (GBPTP) in the country’s most congested city.

Funding is guaranteed through a $225.2 million loan to be repaid over 31 years with an eight-year grace period and a grant of $69.8 million as a contribution from the Global Concessional Financing Facility established by the World Bank in 2016 to offer funding packages to countries whose economies are burdened by an influx of refugees like Lebanon and Jordan.

In a press release, the World Bank said, “The project envisages the purchase of 120 buses to service 40 kilometers [25 miles] of dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lanes from northern districts to the heart of Beirut. Additionally, 250 feeder buses will operate between the main stations and the hinterland.” During its implementation, the GBPTP “is expected to create 2 million labor days in construction jobs for low-income Lebanese and Syrians” and to “attract about 300,000 passengers per day” after its completion.

Ziad Nasr, director-general of the Railway and Public Transportation Authority (RPTA), told Al-Monitor that the RPTA had proposed a public transportation plan to the Cabinet a few years ago, but they were not able to implement it. However, Nasr noted, "The Cabinet approved the current project on Dec. 19, and the World Bank agreed to the funding scheme. This is an advanced step to reform the public transportation sector that has been long neglected." According to Nasr, the RPTA will coordinate with the Council for Development and Reconstruction to guarantee proper implementation of the GBPTP.