CAIRO: The project of Nile cabs is ready to be put out to tender after regulations were set and the Cabinet approved it to reduce Cairo’s traffic jam, head of the River Transport Authority (RTA) Reda Ismail said Tuesday.
In a workshop held by RTA at the Ministry of Transport, Ismail nevertheless noted that RTA lacks trained labor, Youm7 reported.
The idea of a river cab was first introduced in April 2012 by an Egyptian woman, Shimaa Sobhy, who presented its feasibility study proving it would reduce the traffic jam in the roads of Cairo, Youm7 reported in December 2014.
“It is expected to transport around a million and half passengers per year and is projected to yield 15 million EGP ($1.96 million) in profits,” said Sobhy.
She added it would reduce the traffic jam by 10 percent; as it is faster than the underground metro and other means of transportation, in addition to being environment-friendly, as it would operate by natural gas.
In December 2013, Cairo Governor Galal Saeed announced “plans” to put the project out to tender, saying that it would cover the Helwan-Kanater route.
The Cabinet licensed the project in June 2015 after the Ministry of Environment submitted studies on the environmental impact of the project over the Nile River. The decision was also made after consultations with the Ministry of Irrigation.