Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
114
with easy access to the Cairo-Suez motorway as well as to several key development projects and urban
communities in east and north-east of Greater Cairo, including El Rehab, New Heliopolis, El Shorouk,
Madinaty, Mivida and Barwa. The project is also close the new campus of the American University in
Cairo, as well as the German, French and British universities in east Cairo.
Suez Canal - The aim of this project is to transform the Suez Canal region into a global hub and to
ensure the long term growth of the Egyptian economy. The development of the Suez Canal region lies
at the heart of Egypt’s ambitious development programme, and is expected to serve as the main
stimulus and engine for growth and employment.
4.2.15. Discussion of current situation and critical issues for success
4.2.15.1. Introduction
The situation has now been reached in which there is no simple solution to the wide range of urban
transport problems. While addressing any one of them will bring about significant and observable
improvements, the full benefits of any particular measure will not be realised unless other parallel
measures are also implemented. Therefore, a holistic strategy comprising many inter-related and
mutually supporting measures is now required.
Transport planning in Cairo needs to move away from a Spontaneous system to a planned system.
This needs to reflect the positive aspects of Cairo including
 Economic/Business activity.
 Education, tourism and health centre.
 Urban ‘buzz’.
 Global linkages.
However, the planned transport system needs to address the negative aspects within Cairo including:
 Chronic Transport problems.
 Quality of Life: Egypt ranks 80 on the Quality of Life Index (EIU, 2007).
 Cairo although a Megacity is not a Global city (UN, 2002).
In doing so transport planning in Cairo needs to address the pitfalls that have taken place in Cairo in
the past including:
 Pre-occupation with ‘modern’ car-based suburban living in new towns resulting from a biased
transport policy where for example 11% of households own a car but cars make up 67% of
total urban road traffic on average.
 Only 4% to 5% of population live in new towns.
• No public transport priority schemes exist.
• Lack of effective traffic management.
• No serious measures for restricting car movement.
There have been some successful projects implemented in Cairo. For example the 2009 GOPP report
identified the success of a pedestrianisation and traffic diversion scheme in the historical area of Cairo
at Al Muizz Street. The UNDP Sustainable Transport Project for Egypt has also been responsible for
implementing Pilot Sustainable Transport improvements including:
 Sheik Zayed City to 6th October City and link to Metro lines 1 and 2 with an integrated ticket.
 Improved internal 6th October City bus services.
 Proposal is to replicate these improvements at the other New Cities (10th of Ramadan, New
Cairo, Badr, Oboor, Shorook with bus links to existing/proposed Metro lines.