Cairo river taxi project beginning to flow
Authorities are working to clear clogs in Egypt’s long-awaited Nile transportation plan.
CAIRO — Cairo commuters can finally see some movement ahead in the city’s river taxi project, which is designed to alleviate the acute traffic congestion plaguing Cairo’s roads.
The initial phase of the project is to launch this year, but has been stuck in a bureaucratic snarl-up.
On Jan. 12, the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation announced it is studying bids from three contractors for the project, which will start in Helwan south of Cairo and span some 40 miles to El Qanater el Khayreyya.
International transportation expert Hamdi Barghout told Al-Monitor that investors are reluctant to get involved in river projects because each one requires 18 permits total from the ministries of health, archaeology, tourism, defense, interior and environment. Failing to obtain permission from just one of these ministries could halt the project.
