CAIRO: Passengers that were left disoriented and angry after the Cairo Metro Authority’s decision to allocate middle cars strictly for women are starting to come around less than three weeks after putting the new system into practice.
When the decision was taken before the start of the new year to shift women’s cars from the front of the metro to the middle, many men were disgruntled, arguing that the arrangement would prove impractical since most passengers rush to the middle cars of the metro.
However, their frustration has subsided as more and more male passengers drift towards the cars in the back, leaving the front cars almost empty.
Female passengers are also adapting to the new system, and the red lines on the platform marking the entrance of the women’s cars are the busiest at every station.
“I guess that was a perfect move going by the crowd of women we see at the red line now, one man told Daily News Egypt at the Maadi Metro Station. “The problem before was that many women found it difficult to walk all the way to the front cars. This isn’t a big deal for us; at least now we will have the chance to lose a bit of weight running to the back or front, he joked.
Adel, 23, commutes everyday between Hadayek Helwan and Tahrir. He says young men prefer the cars in the back because they can get away with jumping in the cars at the last minute as the doors close without being fined.The rear cars carry crowds of men and a small number of women who are usually accompanied by their husbands or colleagues.
“I would be happier if the all the back cars are ours, said another male passenger. “Men never thought twice about giving up their seats for a woman, even if an old or a sick man stood nearby, he said, adding the decision was aimed at the safety of women at the expense of men’s.
The decision to reallocate the cars came after a Helwan-bound train crashed into the platform as it slowed down at the station during the Eid vacation.
Investigations revealed that the driver was distracted by screams coming from the women-only car behind him, so he left the cabin to see what was going on.
With women huddled in the middle cars and men casually riding in the back, the front cars are the least congested, left available for whoever will use them.
“I don’t really know [why they are empty], said Maha who waited for the Helwan-bound metro at Dar El Salam Station. “Apparently many men haven’t been informed about the change. I personally got to know about it only today.
But Mamdouh, another passenger seemed to disagree. “It is an obsession with safety; after the accident some have developed a serious concern about being in the front [car].
“By the time the break is over and students are back to schools all the vehicles will be busy again, he added.
