New cabs for old
Can an ambitious plan to replace thousands of Cairo's ailing old cabs with brand new ones -- that are also only a call away -- really work? Reem Nafie investigates
"Capital Taxi" is the name of a new project recently announced by Cairo Governor Abdel-Rehim Shehata. Envisioned to begin in a few months time, the project aims to introduce a new phone-in ordering service for cabs, and amend the controversial issue of taxi fares as well. The Cairo Governorate-private sector joint initiative is also designed to significantly cut down the number of older taxis currently roaming the city.
A recent advertisement in Al-Ahram encouraged taxi drivers who own cars that are at least 40-years-old to apply to join the "Capital Taxi" project. According to Abdel-Qader Ismail, director of the Fresh Graduates Employment Agency (FGEA), which is representing Cairo Governorate on the project, these drivers will be motivated to join the programme by the interest- free loans offered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Nasser Bank helping them to buy new cars.
Ismail said the project's first phase "will be implemented in downtown Cairo, with 1000 of the 2600 taxis that were manufactured 40 years ago sold, and replaced with new cars equipped to receive calls". The governorate has specified that only brand new cars -- 2001 or 2002 models -- will be used. The plan's second phase will target the remaining 1,600 old- model taxis.
"If the plan proves successful," said Ismail, "the governorate aims to take the project nationwide."
Taxi drivers have expressed support for the plan, saying that if actually implemented, it would be a good idea. "We have read about major changes in the past," taxi driver Tahseen Mohamed told Al-Ahram Weekly, "but the government only cares about the passengers."
That's where the new fare comes in. Under the new system, all taxis, old or new, will have a unified fare system that is expected to start at LE2. The fare currently begins at 60 piastres, a rate that was set back in 1994, replacing the previous 25 piastre rate. Following a later jump in oil prices, taxi drivers abandoned the meter system altogether in favour of a fare that was mutually agreed upon -- or argued over -- by driver and passenger. "I personally don't use the meter unless I am in front of a policeman," admitted Sobhi Tawfiq.
Although agreed-upon fares are the norm, drivers and passengers alike are far from satisfied with the system, or lack of it. "Waiting for a taxi wastes a lot of time, and when it actually stops, the driver might not agree to take me where I want to go," said Mona Ahmed, a university student waiting for a taxi to take her from Nasr City to Tahrir.
In this respect, as well, "Capital Taxi" would be a major step forward in the cab business, a seemingly obvious and necessarily modern method of transportation in a capital city like Cairo. Someone who needs a taxi will simply call the company's call centre, which will in turn contact a taxi driver on his UPS, the built-in walkie talkie-like device to be supplied by a private communications company.
Although the standardised fare system is meant to ensure that there are no arguments over the fare, taxi drivers who found the new LE2 initial fare reasonable think a more important move would be for the government to rework the per kilometre rate as well. Taxi driver Mohamed Radi said "it would only be fair for every additional kilometre -- which costs 30 piastres now -- to go up to 50 piastres."
Radi was sceptical of the plan's reach. "The government has to understand that there are around 50,000 taxis in Cairo and only around 2000 are going to participate in the new 'call a taxi' service. So what's going to happen to the rest of us?"
Even those who get to take part will have to wait for now. The new taxi system still has to be approved by the People's Assembly. Ismail could not predict when the new system would actually launch. "When it comes to money and decisions that affect people, parliament's approval may take a while," he told the Weekly.
Previous government attempts to initiate a successful phone- in taxi service have not been particularly successful. A February 1986 project implemented by the General Syndicate for Land Transportation and the General Traffic Administration involved taxis lined up at major traffic points, like Tahrir Square, where nearby telephone booths had been set up to receive calls from people seeking taxis. Fourteen months later the project was canned -- as a result of both a lack of awareness amongst the general public, and people stealing the phones from the booths.
Also sharing the blame were perceptions that the project only targeted the upper classes, people willing to pay double the fare.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 22 - 28 May 2003 (Issue No. 639)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/639/eg7.htm