The Cairo Metro Company is failing to cover maintenance, electricity and water expenses due to a lack of resources, company spokesperson Ahmed Abdel-Hady told Ahram Online on Tuesday. According to Abdel-Hady, the company still owes the subcontractor in charge of metro maintenance EGP 10 million. It has also failed to pay 18 months worth of electricity and water bills amounting to EGP 260 million and EGP 40 million respectively. “We have received letters from the electricity and water companies threatening to cut their services,” said Abdel-Hady. The Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation, which was established in 1984 to operate, maintain and manage the Cairo metro, generates its revenues from tickets and subscriptions. The prices of metro tickets have not been increased since 2006, Abdel-Hady said. “There have been discussions to increase the fare, but no decision has yet been taken.” Abdel-Hady also says that 12-15 percent of commuters use the metro system without paying the fare, which the company is working on combating by installing new entry gates. Last year, Egypt's transportation ministry announced it will double the price of Cairo's metro tickets to EGP 2 before the end of the 2016 fiscal year, as annual losses are estimated at EGP 250 million. The increase has not been implemented, however. Cairo's underground tube, launched in 1987, is one of the oldest metro systems in the Middle East and Africa and serves around 3.5 million passengers daily. Construction on the fourth and final phase of Cairo's third metro line started in 2015, with the line expected to be operational starting this year.
