On Thursday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly launched the first phase of the “Cairo Bike” project.
The first public system for shared bikes in Egypt, which is being implemented in cooperation between Cairo Governorate, the UN Human Settlements Program and the Swiss Drosos Foundation.
The idea of the bike-sharing system is based on the city having a large network of points where bikes are available for public use, and this system is managed by a mobile application or other payment methods – such as prepaid cards – to suit all categories at low prices.
The system will be first available in downtown cairo in the first phase and will be gradually expanded later.
The project aims to reduce traffic congestion, reduce pollution, encourage the use of economic alternatives for transportation (low cost) and to reduce the time used in daily trips for the transportation user.
A big feature is to also enhance the safety of bicycle users through the creation of experimental tracks at a length of 2 km, to be integrated with public and private transportation.
The system is supplied and operated by an Egyptian consortium and a Danish company with previous experience in more than 70 cities around the world and a network of more than 16,000 bicycles.
The project is funded by the Swiss Drosos Foundation, and is technically supported and supervised by the Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) and the UN Human Settlements Program (UNHABITAT).
The first stage of the cycle paths in downtown Cairo is set up to represent a first step in a journey of gradual cultural change and a journey of learning.
This project is being implemented in several phases, starting with the pilot phase, then the first phase, which was opened Thursday and contains 250 bicycles and 25 stations in downtown Cairo and the surrounding areas. While in the second phase the number of bikes will be raised to 500 in 45 neighborhoods.
The project includes the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of the bicycle sharing system.
The bikes have the global positioning system GPS to ensure optimal management and security, and the stations are scheduled to cover strategic locations and points and many metro and bus stations.
The price starts from one Egyptian pound per hour, with many subscription packages and different payment methods are available.
