The Cairo Governorate said in a statement that Egypt inaugurated a public bike sharing program on Tuesday to encourage environmentally friendly modes of transportation in the country’s capital city, Cairo.
In November of this year, Egypt will host the 27th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The Cairo Bike project will take place a few months before COP27.
Five docking stations are included in the project’s initial trial phase in Cairo’s central business district. According to Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel-Aal, the idea would be expanded after the trial operation to include a fleet of 500 GPS-tracked bicycles in 45 stations throughout the city.
Through a smartphone application or prepaid card, a citizen can rent a bicycle for 1 Egyptian pound each hour.
According to the governor, the project is “the first of its kind in Egypt” as earlier ones were only permitted in small or enclosed metropolitan areas. The initiative will also contribute in easing traffic congestion in downtown Cairo.
The Drosos Foundation in Switzerland provided funding for the project, which was started by the Cairo Governorate in collaboration with UN-Habitat. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in New York provided technical support and oversight for the project.