Last November, Giza Governorate announced the start of implementing a system to replace “tuk-tuk” vehicles with what it called small “Qute” cars, which are safer and of a civilised character, with the aim of improving traffic flow and raising the quality of services for citizens. The governorate attributed the decision to the challenges caused by the “tuk-tuk”, including obstructing traffic and the difficulty of accessing drivers’ data, and announced the start of applying the first phase of the system in the districts of Al-Haram and Al-Agouza and the cities of October and October Gardens, with the experiment to be evaluated on the ground before being gradually extended to the rest of the governorate’s sectors.
The decision raised the fears of “tuk-tuk” drivers, as well as the owners of showrooms selling the vehicle, traders in its spare parts and the maintenance centres that serve it. They asked about the fate of their vehicles and their capital, and whether the system for replacing the “tuk-tuk” with small cars announced by the governorate would be applied compulsorily or optionally, and whether the government aims in the future to replace it throughout the republic, expressing their fears for the fate of their families, who depend economically mainly on the profits from tuk-tuk fares.
Nader Ali, a driver in his twenties, is one of those who have expressed their fears about the application of the new system, considering that the new cars offered as an alternative are “impractical and unsuitable, health-wise or economically” for drivers. He describes them as less durable and less able to withstand the roughness of unpaved side roads, and expects the prices of their spare parts to be higher than those of “tuk-tuk” spare parts, in addition to higher operating and maintenance costs.
Nader, who has worked as a “tuk-tuk” driver since 2021 after he was unable to find a suitable job opportunity after obtaining a technical commercial diploma, has come to depend on his vehicle, whose instalments he is still paying, as his main source of income, which helps him support his mother and save for marriage, given the limited job opportunities available.
The young driver expresses the fears of many drivers who bought their vehicles in instalments at prices exceeding EGP 250,000 and are still committed to paying their instalments, asking: “How can drivers be asked to give up the ‘tuk-tuk’ and move to a new car when they have not yet finished paying the instalments on the first vehicle?”
He tells Zawia3: “The ‘tuk-tuk’ fills a real gap in the transport system, and it cannot be done without in many areas and narrow streets that the new car cannot reach. The elderly and residents of narrow inner streets depend on it, and the new car will not be able to enter most of these narrow alleys and unpaved lanes.”
He believes that the best solution lies in regularising and licensing the tuk-tuk instead of banning it, by requiring a special driving licence, a drug test and a criminal background check, in a way that ensures unqualified people, especially children, are prevented from driving it and that stolen vehicles are uncovered. He points out that he and many of his fellow drivers previously complied with the districts’ decisions and made sure to fit identification numbers on their vehicles, but that this cannot be a substitute for actual licensing. He also explains that some drivers have their vehicles confiscated when they pass through main streets, and they are held for periods ranging from one to two months before being recovered after the fine is paid.
Nader calls on officials to reform the “tuk-tuk” system instead of abolishing it, because “the existence of negatives in any means of transport does not mean it must be banned, but rather that they must be addressed; any decision to ban the tuk-tuk will lead to an increase in unemployment and the spread of illegal practices.”
He is joined by Mohamed Nasr El-Din, a driver in his thirties who works between Cairo and Giza governorates, in the view that regularising and licensing the “tuk-tuk” is the best solution for organising the work, not replacing it with the new cars the government intends to introduce. He affirms that many drivers, himself among them, already hold licences from the traffic department, and considers that the spare parts and maintenance centres for the alternative car are not yet sufficiently available, and that they will necessarily be more costly than their tuk-tuk equivalents.
Mohamed, who has worked as a driver for about three years, starts his day at six in the morning and does not finish before 11 at night, striving to secure his family’s needs and to meet the monthly instalments on the vehicle he drives, with about eight months still left before he finishes paying for it. He believes that the plans to replace the “tuk-tuk” may threaten the livelihood of thousands of families who depend on it as a main income, especially in light of the current economic conditions. He points out that most drivers are tied to heavy instalments for their current vehicles, which makes asking them to bear new instalments for an alternative car beyond their capacity and hard to achieve.
He tells Zawia3: “There is an entire sector working behind the ‘tuk-tuk’ system, from electricians and mechanics to sellers of spare parts, tyres and oils, which will be severely harmed if the vehicle is banned, because it is the biggest consumer of these services compared with cars, which means thousands of workers who are not drivers will be affected too.”
He adds that drivers suffer daily problems with the traffic police and the districts, including being stopped repeatedly, paying bribes in some cases, and being threatened with violation reports or the impounding of their vehicles, noting that they are an unprotected group, with no pension or insurance umbrella, even though they pay periodic fees and charges to the traffic department.
The driver does not reject the launch of the alternative cars, but he rejects their being imposed by force in the future instead of drivers being given freedom of choice, stressing that the problem is not the tuk-tuk itself but misuse and the absence of discipline, and that what is needed is regulation and discipline, not replacement.
The total number of “tuk-tuk” vehicles in Egypt is estimated at around 5,400,000 tuk-tuks, according to unofficial estimates, while the sector provides about 250,000 new job opportunities annually. According to the data of the bulletin of licensed vehicles issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), the number of licensed tuk-tuks in Egypt at the end of 2024 reached about 186,918 nationwide. The governorates of Lower Egypt obtained the majority of the licences issued for tuk-tuks, with 88,431 tuk-tuks, followed by the governorates of Upper Egypt with 80,582 licensed tuk-tuks, while the number of licensed tuk-tuks in the urban governorates reached 17,633, and the frontier governorates recorded 272 tuk-tuks.
Absence of Regulation
In the same context, Shehab Abu Zeid, Policy Adviser and Programmes Director at the Nada Foundation for Safer Egyptian Roads, explains that the spread of the “tuk-tuk” in working-class and rural areas came in response to people’s need for means of transport, especially in the absence of formal transport, explaining that this solution came from society itself to address the local transport problem.
He explains to Zawia3 that the “tuk-tuk” has been unregulated since it entered Egypt, as there is no rule governing its import, and it is usually brought in as spare parts to be assembled inside the country, which prevents the government from being able to regulate or monitor it and ensure compliance with the laws, noting that this situation has led to reckless driving by drivers, given the absence of official regulation of this means of transport, which has not been included among the means of transport recognised by the state.
Abu Zeid believes that the proposal to replace the “tuk-tuk” with another means of transport is a wrong solution, noting that the reason behind its wide spread is its small size and low fares, whereas alternative means of transport will be more expensive and harder for users to accept, and may not be better regulated.
The policy adviser considers that the solution lies in starting from the base of users themselves and listening to the proposals of “tuk-tuk” drivers about what can be improved on their side, stressing that any solutions imposed “from above” may aggravate the problems instead of solving them, and pointing to the continuing absence of government regulation of this means of transport.
For his part, Engineer Gamal Askar, an expert in the automotive sector and road engineering and former head of the Industry Committee at the Engineers Syndicate, believes that the idea of replacing the “tuk-tuk” with alternative vehicles is in principle a good step, but that the application under way in Giza Governorate is “wrong and unsuited to the needs of the Egyptian reality”, explaining that replacing the tuk-tuk with vehicles that run on petrol or gas represents “an old and inaccurate vision”, especially given the rising carbon emissions the world is suffering from and their health and environmental effects.
He tells Zawia3: “Egypt is one of the countries where vehicle emissions are high to a large extent, which leads to a lower proportion of oxygen in the air and an increase in toxic gases, foremost among them carbon monoxide, which has a negative impact on human health, especially children, and also affects plant and animal life, while the prevailing global trend when looking for an alternative to the tuk-tuk is based on using light electric vehicles, which ‘is consistent with the new and renewable energy policies’ that Egypt is already expanding through wind and solar projects.”
The expert explains that the move towards cars that run on gas or a mixture of petrol and gas will create bigger problems in the near term, pointing out that the large difference between the calorific values of the types of fuel causes serious damage to engines, and that natural gas has a much higher calorific value than the low-octane petrol often used in tuk-tuks, which leads to the rapid wear of engine components and may go as far as destroying the engine completely, as a result of the huge difference in thermal energy. He explains that this damage will appear quickly because the proposed alternative vehicles will work long hours every day, as is the case with the tuk-tuk.
Regarding safety, Askar believes that four-wheeled vehicles with closed doors represent a safer alternative to the three-wheeled “tuk-tuk”, which overturns easily and is recorded as involved in many accidents, in addition to its use in social crimes such as kidnapping and assault. At the same time, however, he stresses that the alternative cars suffer from cramped space and poor efficiency, and do not meet the minimum level of comfort or the technical standards that should be observed when designing a vehicle for daily use.
From an economic point of view, he explains that the alternative vehicles will be clearly more expensive, both in terms of purchase price and the costs of licensing, insurance, taxes and maintenance, and that drivers will need an official driving licence and will bear higher operating burdens, which will inevitably be reflected in fares. He explains that the “tuk-tuk” spread in Egypt because it is a cheap and easy-to-operate means of transport, but that this has led to a large number of children and minors driving it, a situation that does not exist in any country that respects traffic safety rules.
He adds: “The tuk-tuk represents a huge parallel economy; the number of vehicles is estimated at around seven million, driven by around 14 million people over the course of the day, not counting the families that depend on them, which makes a ban impossible to implement without an actual, realistic alternative. The solution is not to ban the ‘tuk-tuk’, but to replace it gradually with safe, environmentally friendly electric vehicles, with clear regulatory mechanisms that preserve the rights of drivers and citizens and ensure that ‘vehicles are not exposed to rapid deterioration or exorbitant costs’.”
The expert affirms that replacing the “tuk-tuk” is possible and necessary, but on condition of following “the right path”, which begins with providing suitable electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure, and not by relying on small cars that run on petrol and gas “and aggravate the problems instead of solving them”.
Giza Governorate launched a system to convert “tuk-tuk” vehicles into small alternative cars of the Bajaj Qute model, and announced encouraging incentives that include a refund of EGP 10,000 after the car is licensed, in addition to support of about EGP 1,000 for licensing fees, bringing the total return to about EGP 11,000.
The Indian company Bajaj Auto is the company that originally manufactures the Bajaj Qute car, and in Egypt, the Helwan Machinery and Equipment Company (Military Factory 999) assembles the car in cooperation with the company “ITAMCO”. According to the specifications, the car seats four people and can travel a distance of up to 550 kilometres on a single tank, running on petrol or natural gas, and the price of the new car in the Egyptian market ranges between EGP 200,000 and EGP 215,000.
Regulating Informal Transport
For his part, Abdullah Abu Khadra, Professor of Road Engineering at Beni Suef University, considers that Giza Governorate’s launch of the system of alternative cars for the tuk-tuk comes as part of a broader plan to regularise and organise movement in the streets and limit informal practices in transport inside cities. He notes that this approach was proposed previously among the proposals for developing the traffic system, especially in areas that have seen a wide spread of tuk-tuks inside cities and on main streets, in a way that is not compatible with the ongoing development works and the civilised appearance the state is aiming for, especially in Giza Governorate, which contains major archaeological sites such as the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Abu Khadra points out that the replacement process aims to provide safer and more organised vehicles, by requiring drivers to obtain driving licences, setting a legal driving age, and licensing the vehicles and their routes, with colours assigned to vehicles according to each centre to control movement, considering that these measures will help improve the security and traffic situation, as well as preserving the environment and citizens’ health.
He tells Zawia3: “The governorate had taken preparatory steps before the cancellation decision, including cooperating with the ministries of Local Development and Interior to register the ‘tuk-tuks’, fit them with identification numbers and create a database of their owners and drivers, alongside traffic campaigns to control their movement. This effort was necessary before launching the replacement system.”
Abu Khadra expects the current step to be the beginning of extending the experiment to the rest of the governorates, as an urgent need to control the transport system and not merely a luxury, noting that the haphazard spread of the “tuk-tuk” posed a great danger over the past years, both in security and traffic terms. He attributes this to the vehicle being driven by children under the legal age, the absence of licences, and the lack of any regulation or technical requirements for the vehicle itself, in addition to it going out onto the main corridors in violation of the rules, which increased the likelihood of accidents and security problems.
For his part, Adel Amer, a legal expert and head of the Egyptians Centre for Political, Economic and Social Studies, affirms that Giza Governorate’s decision on replacing “tuk-tuk” vehicles with alternative cars is entirely optional, not compulsory, and applies only to those who wish to replace their vehicle with a small car that runs on natural gas. He explains that the new vehicles will be more subject to legal oversight, since they are officially licensed and carry metal number plates registered with the traffic department and the governorate, which makes it easier to detect any violation or crime connected to them.
He points out that the tuk-tuk is still not legally regularised to this day, explaining that the Traffic Law left each governorate free to set the rules regulating its registration. And although Parliament recently approved the new Traffic Law, he affirms that the assessment of the situation will not be complete before the issuance of the executive regulations, which will determine how to deal with the millions of vehicles spread across the streets.
He tells Zawia3: “The spread of the ‘tuk-tuk’ in Egypt is due to unemployment, the start of local manufacturing of the tuk-tuk, and its not being subject to registration or traffic violations, which encouraged its wide spread in the villages and then the cities. Banning the tuk-tuk completely is extremely difficult, as the number of tuk-tuks in Egypt is estimated at around 5 to 6 million vehicles, on which up to 15 million individuals depend for their daily income. Therefore, the solution lies in gradual replacement, as Giza Governorate has done by applying the replacement on an optional basis, and then extending the step gradually to the other governorates.”
What Is the Government’s Response?
Responding to the controversy raised over the system and to the fears and questions of tuk-tuk drivers, Mohamed Marei, Assistant Secretary-General of Giza Governorate, affirms to Zawia3 that the system for replacing “tuk-tuk” vehicles with small “Qute” cars is entirely optional and not compulsory, stressing that a driver who wishes to join the new system disposes of the old tuk-tuk by selling it as he wishes. He notes that the governorate is ready to direct drivers to trustworthy traders to sell their vehicles so that they are not exploited, but he stresses that the sale is carried out by the owner, directly, without any official handover to the governorate.
He adds that the alternative car can be bought in cash or in instalments, and that drivers who are still paying tuk-tuk instalments can choose between completing its instalments and then replacing it later, selling it and transferring the instalments to the buyer, or bearing simultaneous instalments, noting that this situation is similar to any commodity bought in instalments.
Regarding the regularisation of the “tuk-tuk” after the issuance of the new Traffic Law, Marei affirms that the governorate does not prevent anyone who wishes to license their current tuk-tuk from doing so, because the replacement system is optional, and the driver has the right to keep his vehicle as long as it is licensed. He notes that the alternative cars are safer and more organised: the vehicle is licensed, has a file with the traffic department and the district, and its owner and driver are known, which makes it easier for the police to track it if a violation occurs, unlike the tuk-tuk, which lacks a similar oversight mechanism.
Marei explains that the governorate has directed the traffic department to intensify monitoring campaigns to control the street in general, and not as a direct response to the replacement system, stressing that the campaigns continue all the time and cover all violations, including the phenomenon of child labour and unlicensed tuk-tuks.
Regarding concerns about the availability of spare parts for the alternative car, Marei explains that the governorate is currently agreeing with the importing company to extend the warranty period from six months to a full year, while raising the guaranteed distance to 50,000 kilometres, affirming that spare parts and maintenance are available through the local agent, as the car is manufactured in a factory affiliated with Military Production.
The Assistant Secretary-General of Giza Governorate notes that the import of the “tuk-tuk” and its spare parts has been halted since 2022 by a government decision, and that the vehicles currently in circulation are either refurbished or have undergone an “overhaul”, which explains their high prices, as the price of a “tuk-tuk” on the market has exceeded nearly EGP 250,000. He considers that the operating cost of the car is lower, because it covers a greater number of kilometres using the same amount of fuel, and its price is also lower than the price of the current tuk-tuk, which increases drivers’ profit margin in the long term.
Giza Governorate’s decision to launch the system for replacing the tuk-tuk with small cars remains an ambitious option for organising traffic and improving public safety, but it faces major challenges on the ground, whether economic, operational or social; the sector depends on millions of citizens who earn their living from these vehicles, and banning them or imposing alternatives on them without taking their circumstances into account will have adverse effects.
Experts affirm that the realistic solution lies in gradual replacement, with a focus on regulating and licensing the current tuk-tuk and controlling its driving by children and minors, alongside encouraging environmentally friendly electric alternatives when available, and supporting infrastructure, on condition that the source of income of millions of families is preserved and the safety of citizens is guaranteed.
