As part of its effort to curb the growing chaos in the capital, the Beirut Municipality has announced the implementation of a new schedule of fines, based on the approval of the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation (Decision No. 2023/929). Beirut’s Municipal Guard will now be responsible for documenting violations and enforcing the necessary measures against offenders. The municipality stresses that this move is part of a broader vision aimed at strengthening public safety and ensuring respect for shared urban spaces and residents’ rights in a city increasingly plagued by daily infractions that undermine its standards of living.

The new fines target violations that directly affect people’s daily lives and well-being—such as playing loud music in residential neighborhoods, failing to clean up after pets, and dumping waste indiscriminately. They also cover parking that obstructs traffic, graffiti on public and private walls, placing advertisements without permits, and other behaviors that have disfigured the cityscape and contributed to declining cleanliness levels in the capital. The list additionally includes violations that have seen a notable rise in recent years: the use of tuk-tuks, placing obstacles on roads without authorization, digging through trash, operating as unlicensed street vendors, engaging in indecent behavior, raising racist slogans, and even cutting trees without a permit—an effort to protect what remains of Beirut’s shrinking green spaces.

Dr. Karim Saade, an expert in urban management, told Al Safa News that the adoption of this fines schedule represents an important shift in municipal governance, marking a move away from reactive policies toward proactive measures meant to restore the authority of the law in the streets. He notes that the fines should not be understood as a tool for revenue collection as much as a clear message that disorder is no longer acceptable, and that behaviors once seen as “normal” are no longer tolerated. However, he emphasizes that the success of the decision hinges on strict enforcement and the elimination of favoritism, coupled with the need for an awareness campaign explaining the purpose behind the measure and encouraging citizens to respect public property. He also calls for practical alternatives to reduce violations, such as designated advertising areas and regularly distributed trash bins.

Beirut is far from the first city to adopt such policies. Many cities worldwide have shifted toward stricter fines as a way to impose order. In Dubai, tougher penalties for littering have directly raised cleanliness standards and reinforced a culture of shared responsibility. In Singapore, strict anti-graffiti and public-behavior laws have helped transform it into one of the cleanest and most orderly cities in the world. In Paris and Madrid, fines have played a key role in controlling nighttime noise and protecting regulated markets from unlicensed encroachment. These examples show that changing public behavior sometimes requires deterrent measures—especially when disorder becomes a normalized culture.

This gives added significance to Beirut’s new step, not only for stopping violations but also for reshaping the relationship between residents and their city. The Lebanese capital—long a cultural and touristic hub—has suffered years of neglect and deterioration, contributing to rising disorder and declining comfort for both residents and visitors. If implemented seriously and consistently, the new fines could mark the beginning of Beirut’s recovery, helping restore its image as a city that is organized, clean, and respectful of the human right to a safe and healthy public space.

In the end, the new fines schedule is not merely a routine administrative decision; it is an attempt to rebuild a civic culture that respects the law and the shared urban spaces that bring Beirut’s residents together. Some citizens may resist these measures at first, and the municipality will surely face implementation challenges. But the step remains necessary to put an end to long-standing issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long. Beirut deserves protection and respect—and this new regulatory phase may be the first step toward a city worthy of its people and its visitors alike.