Transport

Cairo increases metro ticket price again

12 May, 2018

Fare hike follows doubling of metro ticket price in 2017.

The cost of travelling on Cairo's metro network has increased from 11 May with passengers now being charged on the length of their commute rather than the old flat-rate ticket price.

Commuters now pay a base fare of EGP 3 for the first nine stops and an additional EGP 2 (total EGP 5) for seven more stations. The highest ticket price of EGP 7 applies to more than 16 stops.

The fare increase is the second in just over a year and replaces the old system whose EGP 2 ticket price was not determined by the number of stations.

The announcement of the new ticket fares, which follows negotiations between Egypt's transport ministry and the loss-making Cairo Metro Company, coincides with the completion of new ticket gates at the city's metro stations.

The ministry said the increase was necessary to fund the development of the metro infrastructure in the greater Cairo area as well as cover operating costs, and pointed out that there are discounted fares for government workers, students, senior citizens and people with disabilities.

In March 2017 ticket fares on the capital's metro system doubled from EGP 1 to EGP 2 for a single journey, regardless of distance.

Launched 31 years ago, Cairo’s underground metro system is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa. More than 3.5 million passengers use the three lines across the greater Cairo area every day.