This came in a celebration in the center of the Egyptian capital, in which Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly participated.
The system was launched in cooperation with the Cairo Governorate and a number of prominent institutions such as the Swiss Drosos and the United Nations Human Settlements Program.
Rasha Fawzy, Operations Officer of the Cairo Bike project, told Sky News Arabia: “We are pleased to officially launch the experiment. We have been working for months on preparing safe paths for cyclists in the downtown area, as well as opening 26 stations so far that can accommodate 250 bikes and provide All the necessary requirements for ease of use by citizens.
She added, “Choosing the downtown area was a big challenge due to the overcrowding of the area, but the availability of bicycles in many places will reduce traffic densities, as everyone can move in them instead of cars, and turn this sport into a daily practice suitable for all social groups of all ages.”
The operating officer of the “Cairo Bike” project confirms that there are several stages to implement the idea on a large scale, noting the launch of the first phase today in central Cairo and the neighboring areas such as the entrance to the garage of Tahrir Square, Abdel Moneim Riyad area, Lazoghli Square and Ataba metro station.
It indicates that the second phase will appear at the end of this year.
Phase two details:
- The second phase of the project involves intensifying the number of bicycles to 500.
- The number of stations increases to 45 stations in the main locations in downtown Cairo, Garden City and Zamalek Island.
- The stations are located in strategic locations, important youth gathering points, and many metro and bus stations.
- The bikes include GPS for optimum management and security.
In conjunction with “COP 27”
And Khaled Abdel-Aal, Governor of Cairo, announced in an official statement that the experiment would support the integration of environmentally friendly means of transportation, improving and facilitating healthy habits, multiple choices, and all the elements that characterize sustainable cities.
He explained that its implementation comes ahead of the launch of the summit of the States Parties to the Framework Convention of the Climate Conference (COP 27), a few days later in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Rasha Fawzy explains to “Sky News Arabia” that the “Cairobike” project is environmentally friendly and contributes to reducing harmful emissions from car exhaust, as well as using solar energy in the work of stations designated for obtaining bicycles, noting that these measures help improve air quality and quality of life.
And she continues: “We have faced many rumors recently that the project has stopped, but they did not affect the pace of work that continued in full swing in order to complete the infrastructure in the best possible way under the supervision of officials in the Egyptian government, and we conducted a trial run on a few stations to get close to the observations of passengers.”
Fawzy added: “We decided to provide a representative at each station to explain all the details to the passengers and respond to all inquiries, as well as allow cash payment, as the ticket price does not exceed one Egyptian pound per hour, in addition to establishing a system for periodic maintenance to maintain the lifespan of the bikes and publish awareness campaigns about step.
She concludes by saying: “We seek to make the experiment in its first and second phases a success. We have a great interest in making a positive impact on the downtown area and nearby places, and we hope that the shared bikes will spread outside Cairo during the coming period, and that we will see them in all governorates of Egypt.”
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