Transport in Cairo

Transport in Cairo comprises an extensive road network, rail system, subway system and maritime services for the more than 15.2 million inhabitants of the city. Cairo is the hub of almost the entire Egyptian transport network.

Transport Today

Road System

An extensive road network connects Cairo with other Egyptian cities and villages. There is a new Ring Road that surrounds the outskirts of the city, with exits that reach to almost every Cairo district. There are flyovers, and bridges such as the Sixth of October bridge that allows straight, fast and efficient means of transport from one side of the city to the other. Cairo traffic is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded. [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/779/feature.htm]

Bus System

There is a public bus system that offers several lines of service in different classes and prices. There is the standard bus service, the air-conditioned service, known as CTA short for Cairo Transport Authority (for a higher price) and Mini-buses (smaller buses and more extensive network).

Other transport services includes the traditional Cairo Taxi and Micro-buses, both are privately run by individuals. The Micro-buses are the cheapest form of transport in Cairo, yet not very reliable. The traditional Cairo Taxi is also run by individuals and usually operate on older models of cars that are being replaced by the effective Cairo Cab for a more modern look in the city.Egyptians use cabs,cars,THe nile Ferry as a use of transportation

Air

Cairo International Airport is the international gateway to the city and the home of the national airline EgyptAir and serves as a gateway to the rest of Egypt. The airport is located near in the Heliopolis district and is accessible by car, taxi and bus. An underground mass transit rail system "locally known as Metro" is currently under construction that will connect the airport to the city.

Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around 15km from the business area of the city. The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co. for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN), which controls four companies including: Cairo Airport Co., Egyptian Airports Co., National Air Navigation Services and Aviation Information Technology and the Cairo Airport Authority (CAA), which is the regulatory body.

Cairo International is the second busiest airport in Africa after Johannesburg International Airport in South Africa. Cairo Airport handles about 3400 daily flights, more than 12100 weekly flights and about 125000 yearly flights. The airport has two terminals with a third under construction (due to be completed by November 2008). There are also four runways and a single cargo terminal (the fourth runway was opened in early 2008). Runway 05R/23L is 3,300m long, 05L/23R has a length of 4,000m and 16/34 is 3,180m (all of the runways are 60m wide). The fourth runway, south of the existing airfield is 4,000m by 65m and suitable for the Airbus A380.

With the assimilation of EgyptAir into Star Alliance in July 2008 the airport has the potential to be a major hub with its positioning between Africa, the Middle East and Europe (especially with facilities for the A380).

In 2007, the airport served 12,577,524 passengers (+16.7% vs. 2006).

Cairo Cab

The introduction of a new organized private Taxi service was finally realized in March, 2006. The new "yellow" taxis offer a more reliable, luxurious and advanced taxi service in modern air-coditioned cars (Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Parati and the Chevrolet Optra) through the help of three privately run companies operating in Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia. There are stops for the cabs and there is a free number to order a cab. The cab drivers speak English for the millions of tourists. An average cab ride is $3 USD, prices may vary on distance. There are now 130 cabs and it is estimated that at the end of the project there will be 2000 cabs.

Cairo Metro

The Cairo Metro in Egypt is Africa's only full-fledged metro system. The system currently consists of two operational lines, with a third in an advanced stage of planning.The metro is run by the National Authority for Tunnels. The line uses standard gauge (1435 mm). Ticket price is EGP 1.00 for each journey (as of July 2006, EUR 0.14 or USD 0.18), regardless of distance. On all Cairo metros, two cars in the middle of each train are reserved for women until early evening as an option for women who don't wish to ride with men in the same car, however women can still ride other cars freely.

Tram

Constructed near the beginning of the 20th century, the Tram system is still used in modern day Cairo, especially in modern areas, like Heliopolis, Nasr City.

Train

Cairo is extensively connected to other Eyptian cities and villages by rail operated by the Egyptian National Railways.Cairo's main railway station - Ramses Station (Mahattat Ramses) is located on Midan Ramses.

Nile Ferry

There's a maritime ferry boat system that crosses the Nile River.

See also

* Cairo
* Cairo Metro
* Transport in Egypt