Minister
of Transportation Kamel Al-Wazir briefed TV viewers on developments in the
sector this week during the inauguration of the third Smart Transportation and
Logistics Fair and Forum for the Middle East and Africa (TransMEA) in the
capital on Sunday.
TransMEA covers the entire spectrum of the transport and logistics industries in Egypt, whether roads, railways, subways, river transport, or the logistics sector. Inaugurated by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on the fringes of Cairo’s annual Information and Communication Technology Conference (Cairo ICT 2020).
The fair saw the display of environmentally-friendly gas-fueled and electric buses and mini-buses manufactured for the first time in Egypt using 45 to 65 per cent local components. There are currently four local companies working on the production of gas-fueled vehicles in the country, according to Al-Wazir.
The ministry is also in negotiations with two other foreign companies, one to manufacture electric buses and the other to produce electric minibuses, Al-Wazir noted, he said the developments were in line with presidential directions that all the means of transport linking the New Administrative Capital to Cairo should be as up to date as possible and use state-of-the-art technology.
The government has been working on expanding the transportation network in Greater Cairo through new buses, new underground metro lines, the new monorail, and a new electric train line, with many of these facilitating access to the New Administrative Capital set to be inaugurated next year.
Al-Wazir said the ministry had reached an agreement with the French Embassy in Cairo and the French Ministry of Transportation to rehabilitate the Cairo underground’s first line, which has been in use since 1986. The process would cover the railroad, the stations, and the operating systems, he said.
Al-Sisi has approved the start of the renovation process, which is being financed by the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EIBRD) through a soft loan with a long grace period.
When asked about current problems with train delays due to manually operated signals, Al-Wazir said the government was working on making all signals and level crossings automatic nationwide.
Source: Ahram Online
