A bustling crowd, children screaming, mothers grasping their little ones’ hands while attempting not to fall down, and college students commuting home, textbooks in hand. To top it all off, a fatigued man with a gaunt face sells mobile phone stands, and a woman, well past the prime of her years, bemusedly sells tank tops in a loud booming voice that reaches the cart front to back. This is what I see, and hear, during every metro ride I take in Cairo. The metro has been around for far longer than I can remember. And although it is always crowded, it is one of the most popular modes of transport for many Egyptians because of its convenience and affordability – particularly when its fare was unified. Today, ticket prices have changed, and while many still use the Cairo Metro, others prefer different means of transportation that are even quicker, and often even cheaper, such as the microbus, depending on the location they’re traveling to. Let me take you on a journey into the history of the Cairo metro ticket pricing. The metro was initially inaugurated in 1987. At the time,…
