Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
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 Based on polls 67% of citizens believed that the situation in Egypt is moving in the right
direction as a result of the March 2015 IITF conference, restoration of security and counter
terrorism efforts.
4.2.14. Planning documents currently adopted by Cairo
It wasn’t clear from those met whether there was in existence an approved Transport Masterplan for
GCR and how this fits into the overall National Plan. In terms of the future it is clear that the strategy
is to attract people away from Cairo, in particular to the triangle to the East of New Cairo/New
Capital/Suez region which will have greater population in 30 to 40 years. As such this area will grow
in a planned way. It was understood from the meetings that permanent committees have been built
for planning/industry/commercial/transport/public engagement/safety/environment/slums and
they are working together to:
 Produce Concept Plan for next 40 to 50 years.
 Masterplan for next 10 to 15 years.
 Immediate 5 year plan.
The MoH have an (unapproved) transport masterplan for Greater Cairo which includes connections
to east of Cairo (New Cairo and New administration capital) upto Suez Canal and they have asked
European Bank for assistance with the new masterplan. MoH have as yet to masterplan the area East
of Cairo from the ring road to Suez Canal as well develop Metro/tram/BRT/monorail linkages east to
for example 6th of October City and Cairo University (36 km away).
4.2.14.1. National, Urban and Transport Strategies adopted for Cairo
The 2008 Strategic Masterplan for Greater Cairo completed by JICA was the last study carried out for
Greater Cairo and those met during the study visit considered that this needs to be updated.
As such there is no overarching approved transport masterplan for GCR.
There are no national policies to promote walking or cycling throughout Egypt.
To address the transportation problems facing Cairo, government authorities have embarked on an
ambitious new infrastructure spend program e.g. with the expansion of the metro system. However,
until very recently little has been done to deal with operational, institutional or financing problems.
Previous transport masterplan studies include:
4.2.14.2. 2002 Urban Transportation Master Plan (TMP) - CREATS
This document was never formally adopted as the urban transport strategy of the Government of
Egypt or of the three Governorates responsible for urban transport in the metropolitan area of Cairo.
The Urban Master Plan envisioned Greater Cairo (GC) as a polynuclear metropolis, with transport
costs minimized by the development of new commercial centres closer to residential suburbs andwith
a major services centre to the east of the metropolis, and new residential “settlements,” construction
of metro and regional rail lines, expansion of the tramway network to Giza, and construction of a new
ring road.
In the period up to 2000, the population of GC increased by “only” 5 million rather than the 7 million
projected in the 1982 Urban Master Plan, as there was a simultaneous reduction in birth rates and
migration away from the metropolis. However, the Central Business District (CBD) of Cairo grewmuch
faster than expected and overflowed to the west bank of the Nile, and the concept of a new services
centre to the east of Cairo was abandoned. There a continued and largely uncontrolled expansion of
lower class housing along the edges of the city, instead of the creation of new residential settlements.
New towns were belatedly created, but had populations of about 250,000 instead of the almost 3
million projected. Given the absence of rapid and affordable public transport, these towns attracted
relatively wealthy residents who had cars. The first metro line was built as proposed, and eventually
the new ring road was also built. Few of the other components of the Plan were implemented.