Exploring the challenges that public transportation drivers face in Lebanon

BackgroundPublic transportation drivers face numerous challenges, especially in countries experiencing economic crises. It is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of these real-world issues.ObjectivesTo explore the public transportation system in Lebanon and to identify the challenges faced by its drivers.MethodsFollowing a convergent-parallel approach, interviews were held with stakeholders who provided insights into the transportation system and its regulatory policies. 63 taxi / bus drivers were surveyed using the Kaiser/Pew Global Health Survey, rating various challenges on a five-point priority scale.ResultsTop three challenges reported by drivers were political corruption (mean ± SD = 4.46 ± 1.15), economic/financial problems (4.29 ± 1.05), and costly healthcare services (4.17 ± 1.19). Drivers emphasized the need to address hunger/malnutrition (4.38 ± 1.02), prevent/treat heart diseases (4.33 ± 1.09), and improve accessibility to healthcare services (4.30 ± 1.12). Differences between taxi and bus drivers were observed in terms of their perceptions of the governmental services, the spread of COVID-19, and the efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition. Younger drivers and those who were unmarried, as well as those with no medical insurance, encountered difficulties primarily related to housing issues. Conversely, senior and married drivers reported more challenges regarding the quality of health care services, the spread of COVID-19, and malnutrition.ConclusionsPublic transportation drivers in Lebanon face a wide range of diverse challenges that require attention at multiple levels. The insights gleaned from this study can provide valuable guidance to occupational health officers to address the needs of this population in Lebanon.