Metro urges companies to obtain subscriptions for staff

CAIRO - 14 May 2018: Cairo Metro Service spokesperson Ahmed Abdel Hady called on businessmen and heads of public and private companies to obtain metro subscriptions for their employees to benefit from discounted fares.

Abdel Hady added that some businessmen responded to the call, referring that the subscription for the first phase of eight stations is estimated at LE 360 with LE 2 per ticket and a discount of 33 percent; subscription for the second stage of 16 stations is worth LE 450, with LE 2.5 per ticket and a discount of 50 percent;subscription for the third stage of 26 stations is LE 535,with LE 2.97 per ticket and a discount of 57.5 percent; and subscription for the fourth stage of 37 stations is LE 700,with LE 3.89 per ticket and a discount of 44.4 percent.

In the same context, President of Al-Azhar University Mohamed el-Mahrassawy opened ticket and subscription outlets at Al-Azhar University campus to encourage its workers and students to obtain subscriptions.

The Ministry of Transport decided Thursday to increase the fare ofmetro tickets, starting Friday May 11, based on the length of each commute, the ministry said in a press statement.

Commuters will be charged a based fare of LE 3 ($ 0.16) for the first nine stops, adding LE 2 (total LE 5) for every seven more stations.

The highest ticket price was fixed at LE 7 if the commuter will use the metro for more than 16 stations.

The ministry also decided to apply discounted fares for government workers, students, senior citizens and citizens with disabilities.

The ministry pointed out in the statement that the increase comes to fund the implementation of the development plan for Cairo’s metro that serves millions of Egyptians on a daily basis; the hikes also aim to cover operational costs of the railway system.

Over the past months, several media outlets quoted officials saying that a new hike was expected soon, suggesting that the new fare would depend on the number of stations the passenger intends to pass through.

In March 2017, Egypt increased the price of standard metro tickets to LE 2, doubling the cost from LE 1.

The statement also referred to accumulated losses ofaround LE 618.6 million and a total deficit of 94 percent in the maintenance and renovation budgets of 2016/17 and 2017/18, which have put the network at risk.

In recent years, metro officials have urged the Cabinet to increase ticket prices in order to stop financial losses suffered by the Cairo’s underground metro system, which is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa.

Over 3.5 million of Greater Cairo's 21 million inhabitants rely on the subway for their daily travel, according to estimates by the country's National Authority for Tunnels.