Egypt unveiled a sleek fleet of eco-friendly, natural-gas run taxis on Wednesday that will soon pick up tourists on Cairo’s pollution-choked streets.
The 150 bright yellow Volkswagon taxis are the first wave of about 1 500 cars that will be introduced to the crowded, chaotic metropolis where thousands of dirt-stained cabs belch noxious fumes and dominate the streets.
Tailored for tourists, the bright, sun-coloured taxis boast novelties like air conditioning, electronic meters and credit card readers. They will be on call at 36 locations with trained drivers, who will not be allowed to smoke during working hours.
”This is a sign of civilisation. This will permit us to reduce pollution and open new opportunities for the unemployed and to stimulate the car market,” said Abdul Kader Ismail, the city official charged with introducing eco-friendly taxis.
Even more revolutionary, the taxi firm Instant’s proprietor Khaled al-Alamy, who currently owns all the new taxis, promised to eventually make female drivers one-third of his staff.
The typical Cairo taxi is 10 years old, has broken windows and a meter in disrepair.
The Cairo municipality introduced a plan to upgrade its woeful taxi service five years ago. There are currently an estimated 80 000 taxis in Egypt’s capital. – Sapa-AFP