Cairo: The General Authority for Roads and Bridges is actively training drivers for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, paving the way for the launch of its first phase. The Transport Ministry announced that ten buses have been deployed initially for driver training, with a total of 50 buses in operation so far.

According to State Information Service Egypt, these operations follow directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to the prime minister and the ministers of transport and industry. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to localize national industries, aiming to transform Egypt into a regional industrial hub.

The inaugural phase of the BRT project will cover 14 out of 48 planned stations across three phases. This phase includes extending the route from the Mariouteya/Munib axis to the Alexandria Agricultural Road, and from the Mansourieh/Fayoum Road/Al Wahat Road intersection, spanning a total of 76 kilometers.

The BRT system, which utilizes dedicated bus lanes to expedite transit through congested areas like Cairo, will serve as an alternative to microbuses. Additionally, a service road will link microbus stops with new bus stations.

The project aims to deploy 100 electric buses, integrating them with other transportation modes such as the metro, trains, and super-jet services, further enhancing connectivity under the ring road.