It is good news for septuagenarians in Egypt as an agreement has been reached by the country’s Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Transport, to provide free public transportation for those over 70 years of age. The free public transport covers tickets for the Egyptian railway, buses and the metro, the Egypt Independent reports.
The Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Kabbaj said in the report, that there will be a 50% discount on all transport fees for passengers over the age of 60.
The price of metro tickets in the capital Cairo, was recently increased by transport authorities.
According to the Egyptian Streets, an English-language news website, the fact that the revenue of the metro, used widely daily, is 4 billion Egyptian pounds (about US$254 million), while its operational costs are 8 billion Egyptian pounds (about US$508 million), was enough justification for the price increase.
The state did however raise transport fares last year, a move that sparked outrage and protests which led to several arrests.
The country’s Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Transport further announced that in celebration of the International Day of Older Persons, the monthly pensions in its Dignity Programme will also be increased by 100 Egyptian pounds (about US$6) for October.
The ministry said it was exploring ways in which it can better serve Egypt’s most vulnerable populations.
In all of the Middle East and Africa, Egypt’s metro system is one of the oldest and it stands as one of the country’s most-used and affordable means of public transport, according to the Egyptian Streets.
According to a report, Cairo’s metro transports an estimated three million people every single day.