The Egyptian National Railways Authority’s (ENR) decision to suspend train ticket bookings through the Fawry app has sparked controversy.
The ENR announced it had detected violations by some of the company’s sales agents, while Fawry responded with a statement clarifying its position on the decision, asserting it had not received any official notification.
The authority explained in its statement that the decision stemmed from the discovery that some Fawry-affiliated sales agents were circumventing the system by using the ticket reprinting feature to issue multiple travel tickets and sell them to passengers, violating the law.
The ENR added that it had previously fined Fawry for failing to comply with oversight and governance procedures and for not taking the necessary technical measures to disable the ticket reprinting feature.
The authority noted that a number of unlicensed ticket agents were apprehended and referred to the relevant investigative authorities for legal action.
Fawry responds
The ENR confirmed that train tickets continue to be sold through other authorized agents who adhere to the contractual terms, as well as at railway ticket offices and other locations.
Fawry clarified in a statement that it learned of the ENR’s decision through the media, emphasizing that it had not received any official communication from the authority detailing the problem or its scope, which would have allowed the company to investigate and rectify the situation should any error have been found on its part.
In response, an official at the ENR told Al-Youm that the authority’s position is clear and publicly stated against any manipulation.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
