President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that public transportation will continue to be subsidized, including the metro, with ticket prices staying at LE1.
"Removing the metro subsidy will raise the price up to LE9," Sisi said. “The metro ticket price will be subsidized without any increase due to the economic hardships that face commuters."
The metro's ticket price, according to Sisi, did not increase since the metro first operated in the 1980s.
Ismail al-Guindy, head of the National Authority for Tunnels, said the authority is considering increasing the price by LE0.5-LE1, indicating that losses this year reached LE180 million, due to increasing demands for metro maintenance.
In a TV interview on Friday, Guindy said there will be renovations to the trains and their sound system, which will broadcast Arabic and patriotic music.
He added that the metro is in need of development and renovation.
Guindy also said that the last increase in ticket price took place ten years ago, “which means that this facility will face a series of losses.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
