The Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation announced it would double fines for passengers from EGP 25 to EGP 50 starting Saturday 3 June.

The company announced that violations include riding the metro without a ticket, using a metro ticket more than once, not checking the ticket during entry and smoking inside metro carriages and stations.

Sanctions for more serious violations - such as men riding in women-only carriages and vendors selling their wares inside metro carriages - will rise to EGP 100.

An estimated 3.5 million Egyptians use the subway daily as it is a fast and inexpensive way of transportation throughout greater Cairo.

Cairo’s underground metro system, launched in 1987, is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa.

The metro generated around EGP 500 million ($64 million) in revenues last year.