Cairo launches trial ride for its first electric public transport bus
Ahram Online, , Tuesday 17 Dec 2019
The bus will operate for a three-month trial period to test whether it is compatible with operational conditions in Cairo


Cairo launched on Tuesday a trial ride for the governorate’s first electric public transport bus, during a ceremony at Abdeen Square in Downtown.

The ceremony was organised to celebrate the entry of 20 new natural gas buses into service.

Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel-Aal said in a statement this morning that the electric bus cost EGP 4 million, and that it is equipped for people with special needs.

He added that the bus will operate for a three-month trial period on one route from Tahrir Square (Abdel-Moniem Riad bus stop) to the American University in Cairo in the Fifth Settlement, passing by the Finance Ministry, Ramses and Air Force Hospital bus stops.

During the trial period, the governorate will test whether the bus is compatible with the operational conditions in Cairo.

The head of the Central Cairo electric bus operation department, Sami Hagag, said that the ticket price for the electric bus during its trial run will be EGP 10.

The head of Cairo Public Transport Authority, Rizk Ali, explained that the bus will be charged at night at the authority's garage, which will give it enough energy to travel a distance of 200 kilometres.

Abdel-Aal, Ali, and a delegation from the Ministry of Local Development rode the bus from Abdeen Square this morning across Downtown.

The first electric bus in Egypt entered into service in Alexandria governorate in July.

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Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a statement in October that Egypt will manufacture electric buses locally in 2020. They will operate in new cities and major old cities across the country.

In April, Egypt signed a deal with Beijing-based automaker Foton Motor to manufacture electric buses at a military production ministry plant.

According to the deal, 2,000 electric buses with 45 percent locally sourced components will be manufactured over the course of four years.

The ministry received two electric bus prototypes in October as part of the deal with Foton, and should receive an additional 50 buses after testing the first two.

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