The Syrian Future Movement is following the Syrian Ministry of Transport’s decision to adopt a draft law for renewing and replacing the truck fleet, as reported in Syrian media on December 27, 2025. The Movement considers this a first step towards modernizing the land transport sector, which has been severely damaged by years of war and sanctions.
The Syrian Future Movement welcomes this project, which aims to replace old trucks with modern ones that meet international standards. This will enhance operational efficiency, reduce road accidents, and limit environmental pollution. The Movement also sees this as an opportunity to attract foreign investment through partnerships with international companies, as was the case in previous discussions with the Chinese company SINOTRUCK in 2024, which focused on establishing regional maintenance centers in the Syrian-Jordanian Free Zone. This aligns with the government’s 2024 decision to halt the import of used cars, with the exception of certain production vehicles up to 10 years old, to control the import bill and protect the national economy. Additionally, the government decided to sell old vehicles that same year to finance modernization.
However, the Syrian Future Movement warns of potential socio-economic challenges, as this replacement could impose heavy financial burdens on truck owners and drivers, who represent a large segment of the Syrian middle class and depend on this sector for their livelihoods. Under the current difficult economic conditions, with high inflation and declining incomes, this could lead to temporary unemployment or the exit of some workers from the market, which would constitute a grave injustice in such decisions. We support the demand for adjustment periods and equal treatment for foreign trucks. We believe that such projects should be supported by transparent financing mechanisms and genuine stakeholder participation to avoid exacerbating poverty.
The Syrian Future Movement draws inspiration from similar regional experiences, such as Egypt’s truck fleet renewal program since 2019, which relied on soft loans and international partnerships to reduce emissions, despite criticism regarding its costs. It also cites a 2022 proposal by Lebanese parliamentarians to exempt trucks transporting goods internationally from accumulated fees due to the closure of the border with Syria. The Jordanian Ministry of Transport’s 2023 standards for transit trucks encouraged replacement with subsidized installment plans. We believe these and other experiences confirm that success depends on financial support and transparency, which must be implemented in Syria to ensure social justice.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that economic reforms must combat the economic factors that fuel extremism by promoting equal opportunities. We link this to our statement on “Omani Support for the Water Sector in Syria” of December 25, 2025, which calls for strengthening basic services, and our statement on “The Role of British Sanctions in Promoting Transitional Justice” of December 20, 2025, which highlights the importance of accountability during the reconstruction phase. In our statement on the “National Disability Conference” of December 2025, we demand that such projects include the integration of all segments of society, including people with disabilities.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on the transitional government to:
- Provide accessible financial support, such as installment plans and subsidized loans, to truck owners.
- Ensuring transparency in bidding processes and combating corruption, with civil society participation in oversight.
- Granting sufficient timeframes for implementation, along with social impact studies to avoid harming families.
- Linking the project to a broader national reconstruction program that includes developing local industry and creating job opportunities.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that such reforms are part of the national reconciliation process we advocate, to build a future Syria based on justice and dignity for all Syrians.
