A new bus service linking Cairo with its satellite cities will be launched by the end of August, under the auspices of tourism ministry.
"We have already located and prepared the stops for the buses and spaces for people to park. The itineraries have also been decided," Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said during a press conference on Tuesday evening.
He added that a law change will be implemented to allow private tourist buses to compete with state-run operator Misr Travel.
The new project will be carried out using buses owned by tourism companies. For the moment, the interior ministry will issue temporary licenses for the new buses.
Three itineraries were fixed for the first phase of the project, connecting Nasr City, where the main station will be located, to Shorouq City, Rehab City and the Fifth Settlement, all located to the east of Cairo.
"I was asked to improve transportation and ease traffic congestion," Zaazou said, adding that the project's aim was to serve middle class people living in the satellite cities.
The services will not compete with the public transport system, he added, because the ticket price will be LE10 ($1.4) compared to LE1 to 2 for public buses.
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