The Ministry of Transport is studying the feasibility of raising the price of metro tickets by around a quarter.
Currently EGP1, the new price would be between 125 to 150 piastres, Egyptian media has reported. Furthermore, the ministry is also considering cutting subsidies for public servants, students, the military and police.
Egyptian media published contradictory reports on the reaction of the Minister of Transport, Mohamed El-Meteny. Al-Youm 7 news website reported, “he is enthusiastic about the proposal and the ministry is awaiting the suitable time to apply the increase.”
However, state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported that El-Meteny had declined the plan, stating that the minister usually takes into consideration the social angle of the average Egyptian when making economic decisions that could affect a citizen’s daily life.
The head of the Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operations, Said Ali Hussein, was reported by Youm 7 to have spoken about the measures but denied this to Daily News Egypt. “I never commented on the issue,” he said. “I have no cluse as to the details of this particular case.”
