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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 June 2000 Issue No. 487 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 June 2000 Issue No. 487
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Focus Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Far from the maddening crowd
By Amira El-Noshokaty
Imagine making your way around Cairo, or at least part of the city, without fearing traffic jams, nasty pot holes or having to listen to the ceaseless symphony of honking horns. On the Nile bus ferry service, one need not fear rush hour and can laugh off the aforementioned annoyances while gliding quietly beneath crowded bridges and along busy streets.
With 35 ferries, eight routes and 14 stops, why not check out the Nile bus to see if it meets your requirements for moving around the city? Each ferry accommodates roughly 100 passengers and most lines operate seven days a week from 6.00am to 5.00pm (see schedule below).
The Nile bus service was inaugurated in the 1960s, when the government deemed ferry services as practical means by which to cross the Nile.
"Back then it was the only way to reach the fevers [Homiat] hospital at Imbaba," recalls Shaban Mahmoud, general manager of the Nile bus. "At that time, it was a vital service. With the construction of bridges the Nile bus service was reduced, as many passengers began to use other means of transportation."
A cheap trick: for a few pounds, the Nile bus will shepherd you to a number of spots along the Nile - just make sure you're not in a hurry
Mahmoud said that these days many people use the service for an economical family outing. "For a family of 10, each person pays LE1 instead of LE5. That means that the family can enjoy a half-hour cruise as part of an evening out for a cost of only LE10, instead of LE50."
On Fridays, Sundays and national holidays, morning excursions for 50 or more people are offered to the Nile barrages, some 15 kilometres north of Cairo, and to a stop near the Giza Zoo. Evening cruises can be taken from 6.00pm to 11.00pm on a daily basis. Running from north to south, embarkation points for these cruises include Mazalat, just south of Shubra Al-Khaima; Al-Tahrir, opposite the Egyptian Television building just north of Tahrir Square; and Al-Roda, on the island of the same name, with the stop conveniently located near the Nilometre.
Two Nile buses have recently been renovated and upgraded with sound systems, fans and a deck for those who would like to sail in the open air. "The service opened to the public as of 1 June and it is hoped that it will develop into a popular attraction."
Ever anxious to improve and promote the Nile bus service, those running the ferries are eager that the service be provided to more scenic destinations and that the service be extended south to Maadi and Helwan, with an express service for certain popular stops. Measures should also be taken to reduce the time boats spend at stops.
As for safety measures, the Nile bus' crew is trained in lifesaving and fire-fighting techniques. A mechanic is on board every vessel, while bi-annual Nile-side maintenance checks are conducted and dry dock maintenance occurs every four years.
As I climbed into the Nile bus, which bore me past the green trees and fishermen, I chatted with one of the ferry's crew members, who has been on the job for the last 18 years. Mahmoud Khatab is by no means an average sailor. He knows his regular customers by name, is friendly and seems to be extremely popular.
"I am really an artist," he said, explaining that he writes poetry, composes music and gives recitals. "Some of my work was published in the literature section of Al-'Umal newspaper," he said, boasting that one or two of his songs were broadcast on national television in 1999. He dreams that someday he will be famous. In the meantime, he spends his working hours doing a job that inspired him to write a poem describing the sunset on the Nile.
A selection of some of the more popular Nile bus routes:From Al-Tahrir to Misr Al-Qadima (Old Cairo) station
-- Al-Tahrir on the Nile's east bank
-- Al-Gamaa (Cairo University) on the Nile's west bank
-- Al-Roda on the Nile's west bank
-- Al-Giza on the Nile's west bank
-- Misr Al-Qadima (Old Cairo) on the Nile's east bank (area where the Coptic Museum, the Mosque of Ibn Al- 'As and the Synagogue of Ben Ezra and various churches are located)
Tickets: 50 piastres
From Al-Tahrir to Al-Gamaa station
Tickets: 50 piastres
From Misr Al-Qadima to Al-Giza station
Tickets : 25 piastres
From Al-Sahil to Homiat Imbaba Hospital station
From Al-Sahil, located in Rod Al-Farag on the Nile's east bank, to Homiat Imbaba Hospital station on the Nile's west bank
Tickets : 25 piastres
From Al-Sahil to Al-Waraq station
Al-Waraq is located on the Nile's west bank
Tickets: 25 piastres
From Abu Al-Feda to Markaz Imbaba
From Abu Al-Feda station on the west side of Zamalek Island to Markaz Imbaba on the Nile's west bank
Tickets : 25 piastres
From Shubra Al-Khaima to Al-Tahrir station
-- Shubra Al-Khaima
-- Gezirat Al-Waraq
-- Mazalat on the Nile's east bank
-- Homiat Imbaba Hospital
-- Markaz Imbaba
-- Al-Tahrir
Tickets : 50 piastres
Shubra Al-Khaima to Al-Waraq Island
Tickets: 10 piastres
Note: Trips to the Nile Barrages and weekend trips to the zoo operate on Fridays, Sundays and National Holidays. Departure from Al-Tahrir only.
