November 05, 2011 02:08 AM
The Daily Star

BEIRUT: The city of Tripoli will be “car-free” next Sunday, thanks to an initiative by a local youth group and the Environment Ministry. While the entire city will not be closed to traffic, the main thoroughfare of Mina Street, linking Tripoli to the neighboring city of Mina, will be free of cars.

Students and young people are working on building environmentally friendly vehicles, many using solar power, to be showcased during the event.

Environment Minister Nazim Khoury, who announced the initiative Friday, blamed transportation for 70 percent of Lebanon’s air pollution problems.

“When you stand in Beirut or Tripoli, it’s clear that thousands of cars pass by with only one person inside,” Khoury said.

Joined by Tripoli MP Maurice Fadel and singer Ragheb Alameh at a news conference to announce the initiative, Khoury encouraged the development of alternative transportation.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on November 05, 2011, on page 3.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-05/153245-youth-group-launches-car-free-initiative-in-north.ashx#ixzz1d22sD4SJ
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)