For the second time in two years, metro ticket prices will increase and be based on the length of each commute, announced the Ministry of Transport on Thursday in a press statement.
After various months of speculated talk of ticket increases, the surge in prices was confirmed to come into effect starting Friday.
The first nine stops will cost EGP 3 while an additional EGP 2 will be added for seven more stations (totaling to EGP 5). A full line of stations, from start to finish, will cost a maximum fare of EGP 7.
It is expected that, similarly to the previous arrangement of prices, there will be discounted fairs to senior citizens, students, citizens with disabilities and army personnel.
The last time the price of a standard changed, it doubled from EGP 1 to EGP 2 on March 2017. This increase is expected to be met with public criticism.
According to Egypt Today, Thursday’s statement justified the increase on the basis of funding the implementation of development plan for Cairo’s underground metro, a popular and widely-used mean of transportation. With new stations set to be opened in the areas of Zamalek, Downtown and Heliopolis as well the upgrading of older metro carts, the hikes aim to cover these costs.
The press statement also cited accumulated losses worth EGP 618.6 million as well as an outstanding deficit of 94 percent in the maintenance and renovation budgets of 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Egypt’s metro system is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa. It stands as one of Egypt’s most used and affordable means of public transportation as official taxi fares start at EGP 5 while Uber and Careem are considered pricier options.
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