On Lebanese roads, traffic is a daily issue, raising commuters' stress levels during both rush hour and quieter periods. However, few would give up their cars to use a bus to get around. Among other factors, the buses' routes are not clear or widely understood. But today, a small group of volunteers is working to map these routes through collective action.

According to Executive Magazine, “Lebanon used to have the most advanced transport system in the Middle East, with trams, buses and trains accompanying the rise of the personal automobile,” but the civil war from 1975 to 1990 “laid waste to this sophisticated transport network.” Today, public transportation in Lebanon is confusing and unregulated, and little formal research has been done on the issue.

According to a study led by urban planner Petra Samaha during her studies at the American University of Beirut, around 80% of daily trips in the Beirut and Greater Beirut areas today are made in private cars, and less than 2% in buses. “There is a general idea that public transportation is not reliable and that it's only for poor people,” Samaha told Al-Monitor.

“People think that it wouldn't be profitable to develop a public transportation system, but it's not true. It brings a better level of life and jobs,” she added.