Cairo tuk-tuk ban could leave commuters stuck-stuck
Though millions of Egyptians rely on cheap and versatile auto rickshaws to get around, the government has banned the mini taxis in several Cairo neighborhoods after efforts to regulate them failed.
CAIRO — The tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled passenger motor vehicle with no doors. It can accommodate three people, sometimes four if one of the passengers sits next to the driver.
This three-wheeler is an essential means of transportation for 30 million Egyptians who use it on a daily basis. Around 500,000 tuk-tuks circulate in the Egyptian streets and 1.5 million citizens work as tuk-tuk drivers, according to the first official study, “Tuk-tuk is a development opportunity,” prepared by the N Gage Consulting firm in January 2015. The study will be submitted to the Egyptian government in early September to discuss the economic and social impact of tuk-tuks on Egyptian society.
The cultural presence of the tuk-tuk has expanded, and now has its own Egyptian-style rap songs, characterized by loudness and often unintelligible lyrics.
The tuk-tuk offers several advantages. It is a low-cost means of transportation — cheaper than taxis — that can reach narrow streets regular means of public transportation cannot reach, and offers many job opportunities.
