Minister: Egypt to increase prices of metro, train tickets

An Egyptian policeman stands guard at the Hilmiyat al-Zaytoun metro station in Cairo November 13, 2014. [Amr Sayed/Apaimages]

Egyptian Minister of Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, announced on Sunday a plan to raise the prices of metro and railway tickets within days, following the increase in fuel prices.

In a phone interview with Amr Adib in El-Hekaya on MBC Masr, Al-Wazir confirmed that a decision had been taken to increase prices, noting that the decision is pending the approval of the Parliament and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

“We are in a dilemma,” he said.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Transport owes banks 88 billion Egyptian pounds ($4.65 billion), and owes the Ministry of Petroleum about 5 billion pounds ($0.26 billion).

He explained that the metro ticket price will be increased by “one pound”, noting “if the prices of train tickets increase by 2, 3 or 5 pounds, it will remain less than the microbus fare.”

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