Buses from the BRT project on Greater Cairo's Ring Road operating during the trial phase. Photos courtesy of Egypt's Ministry of Transport
The drivers will test station stops and scheduled headways between buses for the project's first phase.
According to a ministry statement, the three-stage project, spanning over 110 km, aims to replace microbuses and modernize transportation on the heavily congested Ring Road by introducing a faster and more efficient public transit network.
The ministry explained that the first and second phases will operate 100 locally manufactured electric buses, aligning with Egypt’s efforts to bolster domestic industry and establish itself as a regional manufacturing hub.
Once complete, the Greater Cairo BRT network will feature 48 stations, multiple stops, a main charging depot, and three auxiliary charging stations.
The 35 Km first phase covers 14 stations, from Alexandria Agricultural Road to the Police Academy.
The second phase, which is still under development, will add 21 stations along the Field Marshal Tantawi Axis to the Fayoum intersection.
This section will include three stations on the Mariouteya-Haram-King Faisal-Tersa axis and a stop at the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Alexandria Desert Road.
The third and final phase will extend the route with 13 more stations, connecting Alexandria Agricultural Road to Alexandria Desert Road.
The ministry added that buses will run at three-minute intervals — 20 per hour — with peak-time headways reduced to just 1.5 minutes.
The BRT system is designed to serve as a major transport artery, linking eastern and western Greater Cairo while providing access to the New Administrative Capital.
The statement pointed out that it will also integrate with existing transit networks, offering connections to Metro Line 1 at Zahraa-Marg stations, Metro Line 3 at Adly Mansour-Imbaba stations, and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) at Adly Mansour station.
In March, Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir instructed officials to complete all stations for the first and second phases by 30 May.
He confirmed that these initial two phases, expected to carry 3,200 passengers per hour in both directions, would be operational before the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opens on 3 July.
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