South, Marjeaoun

Five schools (private and public) welcome approximately 1148 Lebanese and Syrian children. There are no safety measures whatsoever around the schools and the area specifically has a history of vehicular-related accidents: the entrances and exits are unsafe, cars/buses are driven on campus without any pedestrian passages, there are no sidewalks or common zones, and parking lots within the vicinity are unsafe.

Most schools in Lebanon do not properly equip their surroundings and campuses with correct safety mechanisms to avoid vehicular-related accidents: entrances and exits are unsafe, there are no crosswalks or pedestrian crossings, the drop down and pick up procedures are risky and unorganized, and there is a lack of appropriate traffic signs and isolated parking spaces. In 2013 and 2014 alone, 163 children aged 0 to 14 who were either passengers in a vehicle or pedestrians, became fatalities of car crashes, whereas 660 children were seriously injured. We want to provide a safer environment for children on their way to and from school. This includes ensuring a safe walk to school, alleviating traffic conflicts, providing a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in road safety in and around the school, and finally, raising awareness about the vitality of committing to school road safety.

Haki Oussal campaign aims to improve the safety of the various processes for getting to and from school. It consists of three aspects: 1. Physical adjustments to the infrastructure around schools by building crosswalks, sidewalks installing traffic and speed limits signs. 2. Increasing awareness and knowledge among the children, parents and drivers in the community about safety by changing their behavior through a national campaign. 3. Setting policies, establishing and enforcing speed limits, ticketing drivers and illegally parked vehicles, and managing street vendors.