Transport Minister Galal Saeed on Sunday appealed to all protesters to put an end to disrupting public services, including transport facilities such as roads and railways.
At a press conference following a cabinet meeting, Saeed said that 95 percent of railway disruptions were related to labor protests.
Sit-ins blocking railways have been common since former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster in February. People see such action as the only way to force authorities to meet their demands.
Saeed added that the railway disruption cases are dealt with in coordination with security forces and governors, together with the intervention of residents in the area.
He added that the ministry has tried to minimize disruptions by organizing bus trips to transport passengers and bypass problematic routes.
Protesters blocked on Thursday and Friday a railway in the Upper Egyptian city of Nagaa Hammadi to protest what they described as election fraud.
Losses incurred due to disruptions in both Upper Egypt and the Delta during 5-6 January amounted to LE3 million, state owned MENA news agency reported on Monday. Ninety-five trains were delayed.
Last December, an official study conducted by the Egyptian National Railways stated that protesters blocked railways during 388 protests and 51 sit-ins between 25 January and November of last year. The study said that total losses incurred by railway stoppages during that time exceeded LE600 million.
