Motorized rickshaws carry millions of Egyptians home every day, but the government wants to replace them with licensed, more eco-friendly minivans.
otorized rickshaws known as tuk-tuks have ruled the streets of Cairo’s slums for the past two decades, squeezing through dusty alleys, dodging trash bins and fruit stands, blaring rhythmic electro-pop, and navigating the city’s chaos to haul millions of Egyptians home every day.
Now the government is taking its most ambitious stand yet again against the polluting three-wheeled vehicles: In a push to modernize the country’s neglected transport system, it plans to replace tuk-tuks with clean-running minivans.
“This is for the health and safety of all Egyptians,” said Khaled el-Qassim, the spokesman for Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development, which is spearheading the initiative. “We’re creating a more beautiful image of our country.”
External link: https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2019/1204/Egypt-s-government-plans-to-drive-away-tuk-tuks
