{"id":16896,"date":"2026-04-20T10:24:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/?p=16896"},"modified":"2026-10-07T04:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T02:25:26","slug":"tram-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/tram-alternative\/","title":{"rendered":"Alexandria\u2019s Tram Replacement Falters as Drivers Wait Two Months for Payment"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early February 2026, as Alexandria\u2019s tram partially stopped for a government redevelopment project, the National Authority for Tunnels announced replacement buses, minibuses and microbuses on three main corridors: the Corniche, a route parallel to the tram and Abu Qir Street.<\/p>\n

By March, less than a month after the new system began, drivers and vehicle owners were appealing for unpaid wages and rent. Drivers and company staff interviewed by Zawia3 attributed the delay to financial difficulties at Fast Bus Transport.<\/p>\n

Documents obtained by Zawia3 identify the company as a public-transport operator established in Alexandria in 2009, when it introduced 72-seat double-decker buses on the Corniche. It operated a similar service at Smart Village in 2012 and announced a Sohag University student transport project in February 2018. The documents list commercial registration No. 18721 and tax registration No. 709432518.<\/p>\n

The company recently received a licence from the Land Transport Regulatory Authority to operate replacement transport for the Raml tram between Victoria and Raml Station along the tram corridor and Al Horreya Road, using minibuses and microbuses with excursion licences. Documents indicate it operates about 90 vehicles.<\/p>\n

Ibrahim Gohar, a driver and owner of several minibuses, moved from Toukh in Qalyubia to Alexandria when the tram stopped. He signed an agreement to rent eight 2002-model minibuses to the company for EGP 50,000 per vehicle per month, with an EGP 5,000 monthly wage per driver for eight-hour shifts on the Victoria\u2013Bacos\u2013Raml route via Abu Qir Street and the tram line.<\/p>\n

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Gohar says approximately EGP 80,000 due to him for February and part of March remains unpaid. Several owners received a combined EGP 191,000 cheque for February dues, he says, but later discovered insufficient funds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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A cheque obtained by Zawia3 that workers said they were unable to cash. Original document in Arabic. (Original document in Arabic; its relevant contents are explained in the English text.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The company initially arranged accommodation for drivers from outside Alexandria with one month\u2019s deposit and one month\u2019s rent paid in advance. That period ended and landlords demanded payment or eviction. He says about 20\u201325 drivers are trying to find alternatives amid the financial crisis.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMany drivers and supervisors left because they were not paid, affecting the service,\u201d he says. \u201cOthers are staying temporarily in the hope of recovering their rights after two months away from their families, with financial commitments still due.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He says a new arrangement gives drivers around ten percent of daily receipts, insufficient for long operating hours extending from 6 a.m. until after midnight across two shifts. Promises from Transport Ministry and governorate officials have not yet produced payment, he adds.<\/p>\n

Ahmed Al Sayed, an Alexandria-based driver, describes disputes over working days and deductions from the outset. Although drivers worked throughout February, he says some days were excluded and deductions of EGP 5,000\u20136,000 per vehicle were imposed without a reasonable basis.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFebruary payments were delayed until mid-March, so some drivers continued in March hoping to receive everything,\u201d he says. \u201cThey still have not received that month\u2019s wages and do not know their final entitlement because deductions and excluded days continue.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The system subsequently shifted from fixed salaries to something resembling daily commission, he says: drivers or owners pay to use the route and permits and cover their own costs. He considers this contrary to the agreement and a transfer of all operating risks without guarantees.<\/p>\n

The service used intermediaries; one managed around 49 vehicles with two drivers each, Al Sayed says. More than 100 drivers worked in the system, making an exact count of those affected difficult as vehicles entered and left.<\/p>\n

He believes operating costs and anticipated revenue were miscalculated. Promised vehicle rents and wages seemed unrealistic against actual returns, he says, attributing this to inadequate feasibility work and insufficient institutional oversight of private operators.<\/p>\n

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Supervisors and inspectors also remain unpaid<\/h2>\n

The crisis extends beyond drivers and owners to supervisors and inspectors, who told Zawia3 they too had not received wages for their work.<\/p>\n

Mostafa Seddiq, a former supervisor in the replacement service and an employee of the public transport authority, began working for the company in early February. Authority supervisors were brought in to explain routes, ticketing and operating procedures to drivers unfamiliar with scheduled public transport.<\/p>\n

He describes initial confusion over routes and compliance. After fare-collection problems were detected, he moved to inspection work.<\/p>\n

According to Seddiq, some drivers remitted much less than actual receipts, prompting management to request violation reports. Others left assigned routes for higher-fare journeys, worsening shortages on the main corridors and generating passenger complaints. These are his account of the violations.<\/p>\n

He says the reports were later used to deduct thousands of pounds from drivers\u2019 and owners\u2019 dues as payments fell behind from late February. Some workers received small advances without a complete settlement.<\/p>\n

Seddiq says some owners received cheques that could not be cashed, and repeated attempts to contact management failed. He describes the company\u2019s office being closed or managers avoiding workers.<\/p>\n

Affected workers met officials at the public transport authority on the sidelines of an official event, he says. Management was asked to pay promptly, but the promises were not fulfilled.<\/p>\n

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The company did not stop operating, Seddiq says, but brought in new drivers on a daily-percentage arrangement. He sees this as a new operating cycle begun without settling previous workers\u2019 dues. Owners continue withdrawing, while many workers remain unpaid.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Passengers face an unsettled replacement service<\/h2>\n

The Transport Ministry began the Raml tram redevelopment in February. It described a 21.7-kilometre green, smart service that would reduce journeys to 35 minutes, provide three-minute intervals and carry more than 13,000 passengers per hour, following phased closures starting in early 2026.<\/p>\n

Passengers\u2019 early complaints about replacement transport included higher fares than the old tram, inadequate provision for older and disabled people, crowding inside vehicles and at stops, and congestion on the Corniche, Abu Qir Street and parallel corridor.<\/p>\n

Other complaints concerned too few vehicles, irregular peak-hour service, delays reaching work or school, drivers deviating from routes, splitting journeys and charging excess fares. Traffic police recorded 139 violations during the system\u2019s first five days.<\/p>\n

In February, Alexandria governorate announced lower full-route fares of EGP 8\u20139 and half-route tickets of EGP 5\u20136, new Bacos\u2013Victoria routes and an increase to 185 vehicles. Governorate public buses on the Corniche and Abu Qir corridors were made free for passengers over 70 and half-price for those over 60.<\/p>\n

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Contracts and drivers without protection<\/h2>\n

Rental agreements obtained by Zawia3, signed by Fast Bus Transport general manager Mohamed Mohamed Mahmoud Amer and minibus owners, provide for fixed monthly rent and place operating costs, including fuel and driver management, on the renting operator.<\/p>\n

The contracts run from 1 February 2026 to January 2027, with automatic renewal for a similar period or until the tram redevelopment ends, whichever is sooner, unless either party gives at least 30 days\u2019 notice before expiry.<\/p>\n

They require EGP 50,000 per vehicle monthly, with weekly payments of EGP 5,000 and a monthly settlement of the remainder.<\/p>\n

The terms go beyond a conventional rental: vehicles must operate under company instructions within a designated project, across daily hours from 5:30 a.m. to midnight. The Arabic report separately describes two shifts totalling 16 hours; those stated times and duration do not exactly align. It argues that the arrangement resembles employment without insurance rights, exempting the company from social and health insurance obligations.<\/p>\n

The operator bears fuel costs, EGP 2,200 monthly for oil changes and driver salaries of EGP 5,000 each plus ten percent of receipts, with weekly advances and monthly reconciliation. The vehicle owner must deliver technically sound, properly licensed vehicles and comply with operating instructions.<\/p>\n

Rent is not deducted for repairs of up to four hours, but proportional deductions apply for longer or repeated breakdowns. The contracts also mention a daily delay penalty of up to five percent and fixed compensation of EGP 10,000 on termination.<\/p>\n

\"Vehicle-rental
Vehicle-rental agreement obtained by Zawia3. The key terms are translated and explained in the text above. Original document in Arabic. (Original document in Arabic; its relevant contents are explained in the English text.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lawyer Mohamed Fattouh says several drivers filed an official report against management over prolonged non-payment. He describes prosecutors as the normal route to resolve the dispute and establish each party\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n

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The contractual relationship is with the company as a contractor delivering a government-arranged service, he explains. The company remains responsible for paying workers even if it is awaiting funds from another authority.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Issuing a cheque without funds is a criminal offence, he says, urging early legal action to preserve claims while allowing settlement if payment is later made. He is reviewing the agreements for legality and protection of workers\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n

Fattouh calls for lawful pressure on the relevant authorities alongside litigation because of unclear contract oversight. He says Fast Bus appears to continue operating while changing workers, a pattern he describes as employing new staff without paying previous ones.<\/p>\n

On 10 April, Caesar Clean Energy Transport announced an environmentally friendly replacement service, with trial fares starting at EGP 7. It described a women\u2019s vehicle called \u201cFyonka Pink,\u201d staffed by female ticket collectors.<\/p>\n

According to Caesar, the service covers 19 stops over 11 kilometres from Raml Station to Victoria along the tram corridor, with full official operation expected in the second half of April.<\/p>\n

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The company\u2019s response<\/h2>\n

Zawia3 contacted Fast Bus Transport general manager Mohamed Amer. He said vehicle-rental contracts are separate from drivers\u2019 wages. Initially, drivers were to receive basic pay plus a percentage, but the company changed to a fixed EGP 12,000 monthly salary in February because early demand was weak, he said.<\/p>\n

Amer described major challenges in the first two months: partial tram operation, low passenger demand and alleged driver violations including lateness and failures to issue tickets, which he said caused substantial losses.<\/p>\n

He acknowledged deductions from some drivers\u2019 dues, saying the company had documented violations, including full vehicles whose passengers were not ticketed, depriving the company of revenue.<\/p>\n

He also acknowledged financial difficulty since mid-March, attributing it to delayed expected cash flows. He described it as temporary and said work was under way to resolve it.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDrivers received cheques for their full dues, and the necessary funds will be provided within a week to ten days,\u201d Amer said. These were his assurances at the time of the interview, not independently confirmed subsequent payments.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Since 19 March, drivers had been allowed to operate and retain all daily receipts rather than remit them, he said, as a temporary arrangement. The company had provided accommodation but asked drivers to cover rent from those receipts while company cash flows were interrupted.<\/p>\n

Amer denied any subsidy from Alexandria governorate or the Transport Ministry. The company pays licence fees and deposits, he said, and depends on ticket revenue. He reported first-month expenditure of EGP 7.8 million against receipts of no more than EGP 1.56 million, attributing the gap to weak operation and violations.<\/p>\n

He denied withdrawing from the project and said Caesar was operating a limited number of vehicles under Fast Bus rather than independently.<\/p>\n

The company was coordinating with the Land Transport Regulatory Authority on operating problems, he said, aiming for a more efficient system from May with roughly five-minute intervals. He described the situation as a temporary difficulty in a major project still undergoing trial operation.<\/p>\n

MP Ahmed Al Darbi, secretary of parliament\u2019s Transport Committee, said he would follow up the complaints and verify the circumstances. The committee would study the crisis and contact relevant authorities to protect regular service and the rights of workers and passengers.<\/p>\n

The Raml tram redevelopment\u2019s estimated cost is approximately USD 534 million. The Arabic report describes financing principally through an AFD loan and an additional effort by the National Authority for Tunnels to borrow around EGP 9 billion from local banks.<\/p>\n

The project, expected to take about two years, faces architectural and environmental criticism over changes to Alexandria\u2019s visual character, particularly historic areas near the Corniche, and concerns about removal of trees along the tram route.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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