Egypt raises metro ticket prices to cover commute deficit

CAIRO – 18 August 2020: The Egyptian government has announced raising the metro ticket prices due to losses, as the income does not cover the expenses of the subway authority.

The rise in ticket prices aims to cover the operation and maintenance expenses, especially that 40 percent of the commuters are using the tunnels via subsidized subscriptions.

The annual expenses of the metro before the increase amount to L.E. 8 billion, while its income is estimated at L.E. 4 billion only. 

“By increasing the ticket prices by 25 or 30 percent, we will cover the deficit,” said Minister of Transport Kamel el-Wazir.

He added, during his phone call with “On my Responsibility” TV show, that tickets for a nine-station ride will increase from L.E. 3 to L.E. 5, while the L.E. 5 ticket will rise to L.E. 7.

He further noted that the price of the metro ticket for 40 stations will be L.E. 10, “which is less expensive and much easier than taking three microbuses to reach the same destination and paying L.E. 35 for the ride.”

The increase in ticket prices came into effect as of Monday, according to the minister’s statements.  

The Ministry of Transport has undertaken major projects to extend metro lines, renovate old lines and establish new ones, with the expenses of these projects covered from the public budget of the state, and soft international loans. 

The metro is the most common daily commute that is used by millions of Cairenes.

Among the new metro projects is the new Adly Mansour metro station, which is named after former President Adly Mansour, and consists of 19 stations at the third line.

As part of the reform program of the sector, the state signed a contract to purchase 32 air-conditioned metro trains that cost L.E. 6.4 billion made available through international loan.

The state also purchased 20 air-conditioned trains for the first line of the metro at a cost L.E. 2.3 billion; these started operating a while ago.

Four new trains were installed on the second metro line at a cost L.E. 464 million, in addition to 1,071 electronic gates at the stations of the first and the second lines with a cost L.E. 406 million.

Three categories of citizens were excluded from the decision to increase the metro ticket prices at the three metro lines, which are:

1- Students subscriptions: 

- They will pay L.E. 33 to use stations of the three metro phases for three months.

- They will pay L.E. 41 to use stations of the four metro phases for three months.

2- Elderly subscriptions (above 60 years):

-  They will pay L.E. 135 for a 3-month subscription, and an unlimited number of stations of the four metro phases.

3- People with special needs’ subscriptions:

- They will pay a subscription of L.E. 22 for an unlimited number of stations of the three metro phases for 3 months.

- They will pay a subscription of L.E. 27 for an unlimited number of stations of the four metro phases for 3 months.