Governor of Cairo Atef Abdel-Hamid inaugurated on Saturday 12 double-decker buses valued at LE28 million and manufactured by the Kastour company in the first stage of a “civilizational shift” in the operations by Cairo’s Public Transport Authority.

The second stage will take place by the end of this year when 28 double-decker buses will be added.

The buses will be able to accommodate 71 passengers on two floors, with the first taking 17 passengers and the second 54. The ticket price for each ride will be five pounds.

Abdel-Hamid stressed the importance of providing the best service to citizens and keeping pace with modern systems of transport. He added that these buses are designed to accommodate the largest number of passengers, and will connect new urban areas such as New Cairo to Downtown Cairo.

He said that the routes of the new buses have been set to avoid bridges and tunnels because of their height. Highly experienced drivers have been hired to drive these buses after passing training courses.

The Public Transport Authority received the first batch of air-conditioned and locally produced double-decker buses in February.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm