In an effort to ease traffic congestion and promote healthier lifestyle choices, Cairo's Governor Atef Abdel Hamid signed on July 10th a protocol with the UN UN Human Settlement Programme to begin planning bicycle routes through the streets of Cairo in order to launch Egypt's first bike-sharing service. The project's first phase will cost 1.5 million USD, which is entirely funded by the Zurich-based Drosos Foundation, according to their press release on the matter. The first stage of the project will see construction of numerous bike-sharing stations in Downtown Cairo, for which locations will be carefully selected to allow easy access to the Metro and Bus stations in the area. Abdel-Hamid announced that the project, the first stage of which will include 300 bicycles, is primarily targeting Egypt's youth, further asserting on making the bike-sharing service available for affordable prices.

The Drosos Foundation is a non-profit organisation based in Switzerland (with offices in Cairo and Casablanca). It's been working since its establishment in 2005 on fighting poverty, protecting the environment and improving youth's access to education and creative activities.

Photo/ Rami Courdi