Transport in Libya

Transport governance in Libya is formally distributed among the Ministry of Transport, the Land Transport Authority, the Roads and Bridges Authority, the Transport Projects Implementation Agency, the Civil Aviation Authority (LYCAA), the Airports Authority, the Ports and Maritime Transport Authority, the Rail Project Implementation Agency, the Ministry of Interior's Traffic and Licensing Administration, municipalities and security bodies. Their responsibilities cover roads, vehicle licensing, passenger services, airports, ports and planned rail infrastructure, but service delivery differs between western, eastern and southern areas and between individual cities and corridors. Urban travel commonly relies on taxis, shared taxis, microbuses and private bus services. Formal licensing exists, but no nationwide timetable or fare register has been evidenced. Availability, price, safety and reliability depend on the city, vehicle, provider and current security conditions. In Tripoli, the Adex taxi-booking app provides a local digital booking option. Confirm the fare, pickup arrangement and payment method before travel because no single national fare table governs all services. Road transport is the dominant way to travel between Libyan cities. Private coaches and buses connect places such as Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Sabha and Zawiya, while cross-country services can be limited or irregular. Check the departure time, available seat, fare, road condition and security situation locally before relying on a service. The same checks apply to travel toward Ras Jedir and other land crossings, where queues, documents, fees, opening status and security controls can change. Official crossings include Ras Jedir, Wazen, Amsaad, Ghadames, Ghat and Kufra. Private cars provide the most widely available form of personal mobility, but road quality, bridge maintenance, congestion, security and continuity differ by municipality and corridor. The paved road network was reported at 69,503 kilometres in 2015. A 2023 Transport Projects Board snapshot listed 150 main-road projects: 18 completed or under obligation, 59 ongoing, 46 stopped, 11 not started and 16 at the study stage. It also listed 1,067 agricultural-road projects: 233 completed or under obligation, 374 ongoing, 402 stopped and 58 not started. These are project-portfolio figures, not a current measurement of road conditions. Driving requires a valid driving licence and vehicle documents. Drivers must carry and show them when requested, and authorities may conduct technical inspections or police stops. The legal baseline for a driving licence is 18 years, together with medical, practical-skill and criminal-record conditions; current application steps and fees require confirmation with the relevant local authority. Third-party liability insurance is legally required. Passenger and taxi services also require authorization and inspection through transport and traffic bodies. The recorded speed limits vary by road type and vehicle. Inside urban areas, the limits are 50 km/h for private cars and motorcycles, 40 km/h for buses and 30 km/h for cargo vehicles. Outside cities, the limits are 100, 80 and 65 km/h on highways for private vehicles, buses and cargo vehicles; 85, 70 and 60 km/h on main roads; 70, 60 and 50 km/h on local roads; and 50, 40 and 30 km/h on agricultural roads. Seat belts apply to front and rear seats. Motorcycle helmets are required on all road types for all engine types, although the available legal information does not specify fastening or technical-standard details. Libya also has rules on distracted driving and driving under the influence of drugs. Random breath testing was not evidenced. Road safety remains a significant concern. WHO data reported 2,218 road fatalities in 2021, while the WHO estimate was 2,287 deaths, or 34.0 deaths per 100,000 people. The same source recorded 298,180 registered vehicles, including 4,543 buses, 24,291 heavy trucks and 842 powered two- and three-wheelers. Periodic vehicle inspection is required. Enforcement combines manual and automated methods, but national data on seat-belt use, helmet use, mobile-phone use and travel by mode remain incomplete. No national road-safety strategy or national emergency-care access number was evidenced, so local emergency arrangements should be checked before a long journey. Fuel availability also affects access to cars, taxis and buses. Under Decision 32/2025, the National Oil Corporation authorizes fuel stations, while municipalities and security bodies identify stations that are operating; the operating information is refreshed every three months. Fuel distribution can therefore affect whether a vehicle service is available even when the road itself remains open. Air transport is a formal long-distance option. LYCAA supervises aviation safety, navigation and air transport, and its platform provides operational-status information for more than 13 airports. The Airports Authority lists 20 airports, consisting of four main and 16 secondary airports. Domestic availability depends on the airline, airport status, security situation and current schedule. Travellers should check the airline or airport directly and carry the identification or passport required for the journey. Passenger sea transport is limited and episodic. The Al-Shaab passenger terminal in Tripoli opened in 2023 with an inaugural Tripoli–Zarzis service, but current regular availability has not been verified. Most Libyan ports primarily serve commercial and maritime functions, so a passenger sailing cannot be assumed to operate simply because a port is open. Walking is a practical fallback for short urban journeys, but sidewalks, crossings, markings and pedestrian priority are uneven. UN-Habitat reporting found only partial pedestrian and cyclist design standards and no national walking or cycling policy. Studies in Tripoli describe missing or poor sidewalks and crossings. Cycling has no evidenced national protected network or formal service and remains mainly recreational or practical at a local level; safety depends heavily on traffic, road design and local conditions. Libya has no operating passenger railway evidenced at present. The Rail Project Implementation Agency reports a planned network of about 3,170 kilometres, including a 2,178-kilometre Ras Jedir–Amsaad line and a 992-kilometre southern section. Contracts for the first stage have been signed, Benghazi–Tobruk is under design and the Tobruk–Amsaad design is complete. These are planning and construction milestones, not current passenger access. Road and private-vehicle dominance contributes to congestion, air pollution, noise and emissions. SLOCAT reported transport as Libya's second-largest CO2-producing sector, with about 28% of economy-wide CO2 and transport CO2 of 15.2 million tonnes in 2021. Cycling, walking, rail and public transport are underdeveloped or planned alternatives rather than mature nationwide substitutes. The Ministry of Environment announced adoption of the NDC, NAP and INC in 2025, but transport-specific live measures were not verified.