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Successful introduction of a Travel Demand Management (TDM) concept with an objective to
expand it towards more aggressive measures over time to effectively discourage the use of
private cars, when good quality public transport services are available.
Improved energy efficiency of urban freight transport.
Enhanced awareness, capacity and strengthened institutional basis to promote sustainable
transport sector development
Speed up completion of Cairo urban metro network.
Improve roads and transport services within and serving informal areas.
Integration of public transport modes.
Parking management schemes.
Congestion zones.
Reduction of travel distances through effective land use policies.
Improve public transport in terms of coverage and level of service.
Make private car usage expensive.
Provide proper space for pedestrians.
Enforcement of traffic rules and building codes.
Revision of transport pricing.
Reallocation of fuel subsidies.
Traffic demand management: flexible working hours and telecommuting.
Continue support and development of the GCTRA with enough skills, adequate powers and
funding for leading the planning, regulation and execution of key urban transport activities.
Travel Demand Management (TDM)
Whereas traffic management measures are aimed at increasing and better using the capacity of
existing streets, Travel Demand Management Measures are targeted at reducing vehicle use in
congested travel periods and places. Travel demand management has not so far featured as a
component of a transport strategy in Cairo, which has been almost exclusively focused on attempting
to satisfy demand for travel rather than to manage it. Within Cairoparking meters were introduced in
2011 using coins and pre-paid cards in CBD area – but these have now all gone. There are off street
paid parking locations e.g. Tahrir Square, bus station. What is required is a CBD zonal parking system
with high charges e.g. Zone 1 = 30mins max, Zone 2 = 1 hour, Zone 3 = 2 hour. Also needed are controls
on loading and unloading and for all of this to be enforced.
Even with a highly developed mass transit system, a well-developed road system, and good traffic
engineering measures, traffic congestion will continue to remain a serious problem without the
application of travel demand measures. There simply is not enough space for roads in central Cairo
and other high density parts of the metropolitan region to accommodate all motorists who may wish
to travel there in private cars at peak travel periods. Most demand management measures depend
on charging for the use of scarce resources, particularly road and parking space, so as to deter the
marginal road users frommaking their trip or by using the most efficient mode (public/private). The
charging can relate to:
car ownership;
car parking, and
the use of vehicles on the streets
All these demand management measures have their uses in the context of Cairo. Given the lack of
parking spaces and the high costs of adding additional spaces, charging sufficiently highly for parking
spaces and strictly controlling the use of unauthorised parking spaces would be among the most cost
effective demand management measures. New technology has made direct charging for use of limited
road space feasible and is now being considered or implemented in a rapidly increasing number of
cities (as referenced in Chapter 2 Literature Review).
The 2010 World Bank reportconsidered how effective Travel Demand Management (TDM) Measures
would be in GCR - the results are summarized below: