/ 28 April 1999

STAR BILLING FOR TRAFFIC LIGHTS

EGYPT’S top movie stars will lend their voices to “talking” traffic lights amid government efforts to help the blind negotiate the congested streets of the capital, police sources said on Tuesday. The first ladies of the silver screen Yusra and Nabila Ebeid and veteran screen and stage actor Jamil Rateb among others have taped special messages to advise the blind when they should cross streets. Tape recorders containing the messages will be fitted to traffic lights in Cairo and the message will be played automatically when lights switch from green to red, to warn blind pedestrians when it is safe to cross the street.