'Sekketak Khadra' launched to spread cycling culture in Egypt

CAIRO – 31 July 2018: "Sekketak Khadra" encourages Egyptians to be bicycle commuters and leave their cars behind to decrease the pollution in Cairo and reduce traffic congestion; Egyptian youth Mohamed Samy launched the initiative to transform Egypt into a greener and more bike friendly city.

"Sekketak Khadra" encourages Egyptians to be bicycle commuters and leave their cars behind to decrease the pollution in Cairo and reduce traffic congestion- Sekketak Khadra’s official Facebook

A memorandum of understanding signed in April 2016 by Cairo’s governor, the Danish Embassy in Cairo, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and Nahdet El Mahrousa association to launch the initiative, which aims to install bicycle racks to spread the cycling culture among Egyptians as a mean of transportation instead of cars.


"Sekketak Khadra" encourages Egyptians to be bicycle commuters and leave their cars behind to decrease the pollution in Cairo and reduce traffic congestion- Sekketak Khadra’s official FacebookPage

Cyclists in Egypt are suffering due to the absence of bike lanes where they can move safely without being exposed to the risk of being hit by speeding cars.They struggle to find a place to safely park their bicycles;the initiative seeks to solve the problems cyclists face.


"Sekketak Khadra" encourages Egyptians to be bicycle commuters and leave their cars behind to decrease the pollution in Cairo and reduce traffic congestion- Sekketak Khadra’s official Facebook

The initiative chose the streets of Heliopolis and Downtown with cultural and historical background to install up to 100 bicycle racks whose places were determined in accordance with the cyclists' most frequent destinations.

To encourage using bicycles in the last few years, many Egyptian cyclists launched biking initiatives to change Egyptian misconceptions on the culture of biking. These initiatives coincided with the World Health Organization’s study on the world’s air pollution levels from 2011 to 2015.

The report referred that Cairo is the second most polluted city in the world.

Previously, Cairo Governor Atef Abdel Hamid and Rania Hedeya, the director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program, signed theLE 30 million ($1.6 million)contract of "Bescletta" project to activate the use of bicycles and promote it as an alternative means of transportation.

Abdel Hamid adds that encouraging citizens to use bicycles as a safe and inexpensive means is fully supported by the most prominent figures in Egypt.

The two sides agreed to work together to select a site for the implementation of "Bescletta" in Cairo and to manage and operate the project using special cycling routes in the selected area to enable the safe use of the bicycle sharing system, according to Abdel Hamid.

The governor pointed out that the construction of these stations will be studied in areas where cars are not permitted such as Al-Moez, Saray Al-Azbekiya, Al-Alfi, Ahmed Orabi and youth gatherings near the universities of Cairo and Ain Shams.

The governor demanded that the prices of using this systemwill be suitable for young people, adding that the state seeks to encourage citizens to reduce the use of private cars and to reduce pollution by providing appropriate public transportation.

Hedeya pointed out that the bicycle sharing system is the technology of placing bikes in stations throughout the city,enabling residents to rent bicycles from place (A) and then leave the bike in place (B).

Hedeya added that Cairo is seeking to benefit from international experiences in the field of transportation.

Additionally, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi participated in several cycling marathons to promote for using alternative means of transportation that reduce pollution.

In 2014, he participated in a marathon held by the Military Academy for 20 kilometers in which some ministers and public figures took part.

“Our objective is not just to promote exercising and activities, but to symbolize unity; our unity as a nation,” remarked President Sisi.

Sisi pointed out that the use of alternative transport solutions will save an average of LE 4 ($ 0.56) for citizens and LE 8 ($ 1.12) for the government per a 20 kilometer travel distance.