The elder statesmen in Egypt have received kindness from the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Transport that have agreed to provide free public transport for those over 70 years of age.
This freebie includes tickets for the Egyptian railway, buses and the metro, as the Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Kabbaj added that passengers over the age of 60 will receive a 50% discount on all transport fees.
The government further announced that it will also increase the monthly pensions in its Dignity Programme by 100 Egyptian pounds for October in celebration of the International Day of Older Persons.
Apparently, the ministry seeks ways in which it can better serve Egypt’s most vulnerable populations.
This may be linked to authorities increasing the price of metro tickets in the capital Cairo in August.
The price increase was justified by 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.
Outrage and protests that led to arrests when the government also increased fares last year.
Egypt’s metro system is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa and it stands as one of Egypt’s most-used and affordable means of public transport.
Cairo’s metro transports around three million people every day.
