Mass and individual means of transport, such as tuk-tuks, taxis and microbuses, face a recurring fare-pricing crisis with every increase in petrol and diesel prices. These changes strain the relationship between citizens and vehicle owners, making it an issue that recurs with every adjustment of fuel prices and sparks wide controversy between the two sides.
Last October, the automatic pricing committee for petroleum products met to review and set their selling prices, and took a set of measures to reduce the gap between the selling prices of these products and their high production and import costs. On 18 October, prices were adjusted as follows: 95-octane petrol at EGP 17 per litre, 92-octane petrol at EGP 15.25 per litre, 80-octane petrol at EGP 13.75 per litre, and diesel and kerosene at EGP 13.50 per litre, while the price of a tonne of fuel oil supplied to other industries was set at EGP 9,500, and natural gas for vehicles at EGP 7 per cubic metre. It was also decided to keep the price of fuel oil supplied to electricity and food industries fixed.
With about 5 million tuk-tuks in use, used by about 22 million citizens daily (according to a study entitled “The Fuel Crisis and Fares”), this sector remains outside local oversight, leading to constant quarrels over differing fares between areas.
In April this year, data from the vehicle census bulletin issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics revealed the number of licensed tuk-tuks in Egypt at the end of last year, 2023, which reached about 192,675 nationwide at the end of December 2023. The data stated that the total number of petrol-powered vehicles in Egypt is estimated at about 8,242,222, the number of licensed electric cars was recorded at about 3,244, and the number of licensed hybrid petrol-electric cars reached about 1,673 by the end of the same period, which means that the total number of licensed vehicles in Egypt at the end of last year reached about 9,849,000. Licensed cars accounted for about 5.6 million, or 55.8% of all licensed vehicles; private cars accounted for 5.2 million, or 94.3%, followed by taxis with 310,300 cars, or 5.6%, and lastly temporary cars with 284.
The Transport Price List
Google saw a notable rise in searches for the new 2024 transport price list in Cairo and the governorates, after the automatic pricing committee for petroleum products announced an increase in petrol and diesel prices. This increase raised citizens’ questions about its impact on transport costs.
Despite the latest increase in petrol and diesel prices, the government, according to the available data, still bears a large financial burden to subsidise petroleum products in order to ease the burden on citizens. It bears about EGP 150 billion annually to subsidise these products, including EGP 60 billion to subsidise diesel alone; a litre of diesel is sold at the new price of EGP 11.50, while its actual cost reaches EGP 20. The state also provides a subsidy of EGP 200 for each butane cylinder and EGP 4 for each litre of petrol. The latest increase came as what the government described as a slight adjustment of petroleum product prices, ranging between 10% and 15%.
Egyptians complain of a doubling of taxi fares along with difficulty getting one quickly, especially in the capital, Cairo. According to the annual statistical yearbook issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the number of taxis in Egypt has seen notable changes over the years. It stood at about 308,200 in 2009, fell in 2010 to 249,100, rose again in 2011 to 361,300, before falling again in the same year to 307,200. In 2013, the number of licensed taxis reached 318,700, rising the following year to 322,100, then to 324,400 in 2015. It also saw significant growth in 2016, reaching 373,500, and continued rising to 383,400 last year.
The new 2024 taxi fares varied between Egyptian governorates according to the type of operation. Some governorates relied on the taxi meter, such as Suez (EGP 8 to start the meter and EGP 4 per kilometre), Sharqia (EGP 10 to start the meter and EGP 2.75 per kilometre), Alexandria (EGP 11 and EGP 3.85 per kilometre), Menoufia (EGP 10 and EGP 3 per kilometre), Qena (EGP 10 and EGP 3.5 per kilometre), Ismailia (EGP 10 and EGP 2.50 per kilometre) and Matrouh (EGP 11.5 and EGP 4 per kilometre). In governorates that rely on a fixed fare, prices were as follows: Fayoum (EGP 14.50 within the city), Beni Suef (EGP 16 within the city and EGP 26 east of the Nile), Assiut (EGP 13.50 per trip), Sohag (EGP 16.50 west of the city and EGP 21.50 east of it), Aswan (EGP 10 to start the meter and EGP 5 per kilometre, with a 25% increase at night), Arish (EGP 18 to 24 depending on the area), Minya (EGP 13 within old Minya and EGP 20 to travel to New Minya) and Port Said (EGP 13 within the district, EGP 17.5 between districts and EGP 23.5 to farther areas).
Several Egyptian governorates announced new increases in public transport prices following the rise in petrol and diesel prices. In Assiut governorate, the new fares included EGP 13.5 for a taxi ride and EGP 4.5 for a service minibus within the city and New Assiut City, while transport prices between Assiut and its districts ranged from EGP 7.5 on the Abnoub route to EGP 21.5 on the Dairut route. Transport between Assiut and other governorates included EGP 180 to Cairo and EGP 173 to Hurghada.
Cairo announced the new fares for white taxis for 2024: the meter start fee was set at EGP 10.5, covering the first kilometre of the trip; after that, EGP 2 is added for each additional kilometre, while the waiting fee was set at EGP 23, with an increase of EGP 11.5 for each additional hour of waiting.
In Port Said, fares ranged from EGP 4 for a service minibus within the governorate to EGP 13 for a taxi ride within the same district, with prices between different districts rising to between EGP 17.5 and EGP 23.5. Fares between Port Said and other governorates were also set, such as EGP 94 for the Port Said-El Marg route and EGP 105 for the Port Said-Alexandria route.
In North Sinai, transport fares rose by between 7% and 15%: the Arish-Cairo route became EGP 120 instead of EGP 105, Arish-Ismailia EGP 78 instead of EGP 69, and Arish-Qantara EGP 57 instead of EGP 50. As for internal routes, the Arish-Bir al-Abd fare rose to EGP 27 instead of EGP 24, and Arish-Rafah to EGP 18 instead of EGP 15, with similar increases on the other internal routes.
This chaos in transport pricing requires clear strategies to regulate fares for all vehicles, while strengthening the role of local authorities and oversight bodies to ensure compliance with these prices. In this regard, Hamdy Arafa, professor of government and local administration at the International University for E-Learning and an international municipalities consultant, confirms that there are major shortcomings in setting fares for mass transport such as microbuses and taxis, even though governors set these fares through the service departments in the governorates. He points out that several factors worsen the crisis, most notably ignoring the division of trips to suit different areas, not setting clear fares for tuk-tuks, and the lack of coordination between neighbouring governorates to set a unified fare between cities.
He explains that the current division of trips depends on only two stages, the departure point from the station and the final destination, which opens the door for drivers to manipulate fares upwards, calling for extending the division to three stages to control fares and reduce opportunities for manipulation, covering short, medium and long routes, with a fare set for each stage within the governorate ranging between 25 piastres and one pound at most for long distances between districts.
Arafa points out that taxis and microbuses consume one litre of fuel per ten kilometres outside cities, while consumption reaches one litre per six kilometres inside cities because of congestion and waiting, and that 85% of taxis in 24 governorates do not use meters, with a technical inspection rate not exceeding 1%, which reflects the scale of the challenge in this file.
He expresses his dissatisfaction with the absence of stickers showing prices on vehicles, which increases the likelihood of quarrels between drivers and citizens, especially in the absence of strict oversight measures imposed on violators, stressing the importance of coordination between local administrations, the service department and the General Traffic Department to ensure that all drivers comply with the new fare.
The Ministry of Local Development set out a number of means to report violations of transport fare increases as part of the “Your Voice Is Heard” initiative, through which citizens can file complaints against drivers who exceed the set fare. Reporting methods include calling the hotline, submitting complaints by email or sending them via the dedicated WhatsApp number. The ministry stressed that the Traffic Law imposes strict penalties on drivers who violate the fare, ranging from fines to the withdrawal of the driving licence: drivers who demand a higher fare than set face a fine of between EGP 1,500 and EGP 3,000, while a fine of between EGP 300 and EGP 1,500 is imposed on drivers who refuse to carry passengers. If a violation of the fare by microbus drivers is detected within the capital, the licences and route are withdrawn, a traffic violation is issued against the offender, and he is referred to the traffic prosecution to impose a fine of between EGP 300 and EGP 1,500. In the event of repeated violations, the licences will never be returned to the offending driver.
In a related context, the professor of government and local administration calls for an urgent meeting between governors and district heads to confront the crisis of increased fares, noting that setting the fare for tuk-tuks, used by more than 22 million citizens daily according to his estimates, is still absent from the plans of local leaders. He stresses the need to divide routes within governorates into short, medium and long ones, in a way that achieves fairness for citizens and ensures that set fares are not exceeded.
As for the tuk-tuk, which has become the most widespread means of transport within neighbourhoods, there are no accurate statistics on the total number of tuk-tuks in Egypt, as most of them are unlicensed. The Cabinet estimated their number at between 2.5 and three million, with the licensed share not exceeding 10%, while a report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in November 2021 indicated that the number of licensed tuk-tuks was 274,984. However, Sabry Abdo, adviser to the General Association of Tuk-Tuk Owners, explained in June 2021 that the actual number reaches 5.4 million vehicles, after it was three million before licensing was halted in 2018.
Regarding taxis, Arafa calls for adjusting the meter start fee from EGP 5 to EGP 6, with legal penalties imposed on drivers who refuse to use meters or raise fares excessively, adding that the absence of local oversight contributes greatly to the worsening of the problem, and that it is necessary to intensify oversight campaigns to control prices and protect citizens’ rights.
Last July, the petroleum products pricing committee announced an increase in the prices of all types of petrol, diesel and industrial fuel oil, with prices becoming as follows: 95-octane petrol at EGP 15 per litre, 92-octane petrol at EGP 13.75 per litre, 80-octane petrol at EGP 12.25 per litre, and diesel and kerosene at EGP 11.50 per litre. Based on this increase, Cairo governorate adjusted the fares for service minibuses, public transport, regional transport and white taxis, with the new fare becoming EGP 9.5 to start the meter, covering a kilometre, and 4.5 piastres for each additional kilometre. The price of an hour of waiting was also set at EGP 21, with an increase of EGP 10.5 for each additional hour.
Divergent Opinions
Amid rising fuel prices and rapid economic changes, the new transport fares have sparked wide controversy among drivers and citizens alike. Between those who see them as necessary to keep up with high operating costs and those who fear their impact on the budget of ordinary citizens, opinions have diverged and views have multiplied.
Nageh Seddik, a tuk-tuk driver from Tima district in Sohag governorate, had a completely different life four years ago. He worked as a heavy truck driver, travelling long distances that took months, sometimes reaching as far as Sudan, but a spinal disc condition forced him to give up the arduous work and pushed him to buy a tuk-tuk as an alternative source of income.
He describes how a new journey of hardship began after every increase in petrol prices. He says: “Whenever prices rise, the arguments with customers over the fare begin,” noting that negotiating the fare has become unavoidable to avoid disputes. However, the problem is not limited to agreement: disputes sometimes escalate into violence, reaching the point of physical assault or complaints at the police station.
Nageh explains that setting a fixed fare for tuk-tuks is very difficult for several reasons, foremost among them that “there are no designated stands for tuk-tuks, and all the work depends on private requests by mobile phone”, adding that distances differ from one trip to another, which makes it impossible to unify the fare, and that most tuk-tuks in Upper Egypt are unlicensed and do not carry number plates, giving drivers greater freedom in dealing with prices without oversight or penalties.
In these circumstances, Nageh finds himself dealing with two types of customers: some understand the fare increases, while others strongly reject them. He believes that high prices and economic pressures are the main factors behind these disputes, whether in the street or at home.
Despite all that, he admits that there are drivers who exploit the situation, “some demand exaggerated fares without consideration for customers”, but he stresses at the same time that rising petrol prices, frequent breakdowns and repair costs are factors that impose themselves on the tuk-tuk driver and sometimes force him to demand a higher fare to cover his expenses. In the end, Nageh remains stuck between his attempts to secure his livelihood and the challenges of dealing with angry customers, in an environment dominated by nervousness and tension.
For his part, Sayed Fathy, a Suzuki van driver working on the Al-Mashaya’a route in the village of Al-Ghanayem in Assiut governorate, says that the government set the fare at EGP 6.5, but many passengers refuse to pay the extra half pound and pay only EGP 6, adding that others still pay the old fare, which leads to daily disputes and problems.
He explains that under the old fare, drivers charged EGP 5, even though the official fare was EGP 5.5, and drivers had become used to this and there were no problems with passengers. But with the new fare, drivers face resistance from a large number of passengers who refuse to comply with it, noting that some drivers still apply the old fare out of consideration for the difficult economic circumstances citizens are going through, and that school students still pay the same old fare.
The fare crisis is worsening at microbus stations, as passengers complain of differing fares and the absence of oversight, while drivers justify this by high operating costs. In this regard, Gamal El-Sayeh, former head of the microbus station in the village of Al-Ghanayem in Assiut governorate, confirms that objections by citizens and drivers to the fares have become a recurring matter, expressing microbus drivers’ dissatisfaction with the increases set by the government, which he says are unfair and carried out randomly, so that daily revenues are not enough to meet living requirements.
Gamal says that university students and employees are the two groups that object most to the fare, as they submit complaints to government bodies, being the heaviest daily users of transport. In contrast, some citizens who do not rely on microbuses prefer to avoid any disputes, which reflects the varying degree of annoyance among passengers.
In the course of his work, Gamal points out that they often load the microbus with extra passengers above the permitted number to avoid delaying students or employees from their studies or work. He describes the relationship between drivers and passengers as temporary, with each side then getting on with its own life, and notes that microbus drivers have gone on strike at some periods, which led to stations being emptied and crowded with citizens, in protest at what they considered the unfairness of the fare.
Regarding setting the fare, he explains that the governorate is responsible for setting the new transport prices in cities and villages, and the new fare is stuck on the front windscreen of vehicles. Fines are also imposed and violations recorded against those who do not comply with these fares, although some matters are determined according to the political circumstances the country is going through.
Disputes and problems between transport drivers and citizens are increasing in many areas, and passengers suffer from the continuous rise in fares, which creates a state of resentment and anger between the two sides. In this regard, Zizo Amer, a resident of the Tenth Village in the Moharram Bek area of Alexandria governorate, says that tuk-tuk drivers practise thuggery against citizens, and a trip of no more than a kilometre now costs up to EGP 15, adding that not paying the fare leads to confrontation with drivers he considers “thugs”, amid the absence of oversight of these vehicles, which operate outside the governorate’s fares.
For her part, Sahar Ibrahim, a resident of the Al-Awayed area, points out that microbus drivers split routes, refusing to take passengers directly to their destinations, which makes the cost of reaching the Al-Awayed area as much as EGP 11 instead of the set fare of EGP 8; these practices reflect the lack of the necessary oversight of microbus drivers.
Data issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics for 2022 in Egypt showed Cairo topping the list of governorates in the number of vehicles, at 2.6 million vehicles, representing 26.2% of the total. It was followed by Giza governorate, which recorded 1.4 million vehicles, or 14%, while Alexandria governorate came third with about 731,400 vehicles, representing 7.4%. In contrast, South Sinai governorate recorded the lowest figures, with 41,900 vehicles, equivalent to 0.4% of all vehicles licensed during the past year.
Amir Faisal adds that the residents of Borg El Arab suffer from markedly higher fares, as the new station sets the fare at EGP 12.5, but citizens face the reality of paying EGP 15 when boarding. He stresses that citizens, who strive hard to secure their daily bread, find themselves in a predicament, as they are threatened with the unavailability of transport if they refuse to pay the high prices. These problems reflect an urgent need to put in place effective oversight mechanisms and to set fair fares that meet the needs of both citizens and drivers.
Speaking about the challenges of the driving profession, Abu Zeid Mansour, a microbus driver on the Warraq-Giza route, recounts his experience spanning more than nine years, pointing out that disputes recur daily between drivers over the order of loading vehicles and competition for customers. Often, drivers have difficulty understanding passengers’ requests, which leads to arguments when the designated stop is passed. He adds that customers sometimes refuse to pay the full fare, and disputes sometimes reach the point of arguing over half a pound, which Mansour considers provocative.
Speaking to us, Hany Kandil, a taxi driver in the Al-Munib area, explains the challenges he faces in his work, noting that many customers prefer not to turn on the meter when calculating the fare. He attributes this to their belief that turning on the meter may lead to a higher cost, and customers also suspect that taxi drivers may manipulate the meters.
In addition, drivers face difficulty when roads are congested, which makes many passengers prefer to agree on the cost of the trip directly with the driver, and Kandil considers this method fair to both sides, as the driver sets his price based on the time and effort involved.
Some taxi drivers resort to the trick of not turning on the meter to exploit passengers and set the fare as they see fit, which exposes them to a violation under the Traffic Law. Penalties include fines of between EGP 300 and EGP 1,500 under Article 70, applied to drivers who refuse to turn on the meter, demand a higher fare or carry passengers from outside designated taxi stands. Article 72 bis also provides for the withdrawal of the driving licence for up to a month if the meter is faulty, and the licence is returned only after the meter is repaired. If the violation is repeated within 6 months, the withdrawal period is doubled, and the licence is cancelled entirely upon repeated recurrence, with a ban on relicensing for three years.
Kandil adds that taxi work has declined significantly compared with the past, which he attributes to the availability of multiple means of public transport, such as the metro and buses, in addition to smart app services such as Uber, Careem and Swvl, which now compete directly.
Kandil points out that the increase in the number of taxis, in addition to some private car owners using their cars as taxis, has contributed to creating fierce competition. Although there are disputes between taxi drivers, they are not comparable to those that occur between microbus and tuk-tuk drivers, as citizens tend to use taxis only in cases of extreme necessity, or when the customer is in a good mood, while ordinary citizens prefer to use simple, low-cost public transport.
Commenting on the situation, Ahmed Abdel Azim, a taxi driver, says that citizens hold drivers responsible for these increases, ignoring the main cause, which is the rise in petroleum product prices, explaining that everyone should understand that this increase affects everyone without exception.
Abdel Azim adds that citizens often pick fights with taxi drivers because of the new fare, which was set at EGP 16 within the city and EGP 26 for the area east of the Nile, and that citizens demand that prices return to what they were, without taking into account the changes in fuel prices under the government’s decisions.
Petrol and fuel prices in Egypt have seen 12 increases from 2014 to 2024, as part of the government’s plans to restructure the subsidy system, which accounts for about 20% of the social subsidy bill. The increases began in June 2014, when the price of 80-octane petrol rose by 50%, coinciding with the flotation of the pound against the dollar in 2016, which led to further increases. In 2017, the government raised the price of a litre of 80-octane petrol to EGP 3.65 and butane gas to EGP 30, followed by new increases in 2018, and then in mid-2019 the price of a litre of 80-octane petrol rose to EGP 6.75. 2020 saw a slight reduction, but prices rose again in 2021 by 25 piastres, and the rise continued until July 2022, when 80-octane petrol reached EGP 8, and by the end of the year 80-octane petrol had risen to EGP 10. There were three increases in 2024: in March 2024, 80-octane petrol became EGP 11, 92-octane petrol EGP 12.5, 95-octane petrol EGP 13.5 and diesel EGP 10, while the price of a butane cylinder reached EGP 100. On 25 July 2024, the petroleum products pricing committee announced an increase in petrol and diesel prices: the price of a litre of 80-octane petrol rose to EGP 12.25, 92-octane petrol to EGP 13.75, and 95-octane petrol reached EGP 15. Diesel and kerosene became EGP 11.5 per litre, while the price of a tonne of fuel oil for other industries rose to EGP 8,500, with the price of fuel oil for electricity and food industries kept fixed.
On 18 October 2024, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced a new increase in petrol and diesel prices, the third of the year: 95-octane petrol rose from EGP 15 to EGP 17, 92-octane petrol from EGP 13.75 to EGP 15.25, 80-octane petrol from EGP 12.25 to EGP 13.75 and diesel from EGP 11.50 to EGP 13.50, while the price of industrial fuel oil rose from EGP 8,500 to EGP 9,500 and vehicle gas from EGP 6.5 to EGP 7, with the price of fuel oil supplied to power stations and food industries kept fixed.
As for comments by MPs and officials on the crisis of the new fares between drivers and citizens, MP Mohamed Wafik, deputy head of the House of Representatives’ Local Administration Committee, tells us that global changes in the prices of oil and its derivatives pushed the government to decide to raise fuel prices, to reduce the gap between real costs and the subsidy borne by the state, explaining that every decision has positives and negatives: the decision to raise fuel prices leads to higher fares for mass and individual transport such as microbuses, taxis and tuk-tuks, which increases the burden on citizens. Nevertheless, he believes that the country’s economic situation requires such a decision to confront the repercussions of global economic crises.
With every economic decision that has repercussions on citizens’ lives, a set of problems and disputes arises that requires wise intervention to resolve. Among the most prominent of these challenges are the recurring tensions between citizens and public vehicle drivers, especially tuk-tuk drivers, who represent a basic means of transport for many people in working-class neighbourhoods. In this context, Wafik explains that resolving these problems requires an effective role by civil society and cooperation from citizens themselves to confront any exploitation or overcharging that may arise in these circumstances, noting that the government cannot intervene in all the details, which calls for strengthening community awareness and guiding citizens to play their role in confronting cases of exploitation.
The role of civil society in dealing with citizens’ daily crises is growing in importance, especially in the current economic conditions. In this framework, MP Mohamed Wafik calls for strengthening the role of civil society and citizens in resolving disputes between vehicle owners and citizens, and in monitoring any abuses that may occur as a result of raising transport fares, stressing the need for everyone to cooperate in curbing this phenomenon, and noting that some resort to raising prices unjustifiably, which burdens citizens without any real justification.
In these economic conditions, MP Mohamed Wafik believes that the solution lies in combining the efforts of the government, civil society and citizens to confront the consequences of rising fuel prices and reduce the negative effects on citizens’ daily lives, stressing that shared responsibility and community awareness will help ease economic pressures and achieve the required balance under the current circumstances.
In another view, MP Ehab Mansour, head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party’s parliamentary bloc in the House of Representatives, points to the importance of pricing committees taking into account the size of the increase, warning of a large discrepancy between the percentage of the fare increase and the percentage of the rise in petrol and diesel prices. He notes that oversight suffers from a regrettable absence: despite the efforts made by some governors, many of them do not achieve the required effectiveness on the ground, explaining that controlling the new fares depends largely on the governor’s personality, as a governor who is present in the street and follows matters in the field contributes to better oversight and discipline, unlike governors who do not.
Mansour adds that there must be a specific system that activates oversight, explaining that this system starts working when the government realises the absence of oversight and the need to increase the number of its staff and provide the necessary financial support, stressing that every billion invested in supporting and developing oversight can save about 10 billion in other areas.
Regarding the government’s plan to number tuk-tuks, the MP points out that although this plan was announced, only a small number of tuk-tuks have been numbered, while it has not been applied to the majority, without the reasons being explained. Although some tuk-tuk drivers are trying to earn a living, many of them commit terrible crimes. He therefore stressed the need for the government to speed up the numbering of tuk-tuks, and for governors to set appropriate fares and prices for each governorate, as a tuk-tuk cannot charge more than a taxi in some areas.
He stresses that the solution lies in increasing oversight, noting that he does not know the criteria or formulas used to set and increase fares.
Asked to assess the governors’ performance in controlling the new fares on the ground, he answers that there are no clear controls, which has led to a state of chaos in fares, which vary from one area to another; and although some areas try to control this, they ultimately fail to do so. He stresses that Egypt needs a real oversight body, warning that if corruption spreads, it will devour many resources. He had warned of this previously, but unfortunately the government was not convinced by what he said, which represents a grave danger that may lead to negative effects, so this matter must be reconsidered.
