CAIRO: Abdel Azim Wazir, the Governor of Cairo, revealed that the governorate is considering the transfer of 16 ministries outside the capital to create traffic liquidity and reduce human congestion. Wazir also announced that the new ministries complex will be established on an area of 2,700 feddans along the Cairo-Suez desert road outside the capital. The governor explained that a ministerial committee will be held to study the idea and an entire scheme will be announced upon completion of their findings, pointing out the seriousness of the procedures for transferring the famous Administration Building Complex (Mogam'a al-Tahrir) after the removal already of 180 rooms to other locations. The minister described the spread of the “tok tok” in the streets and squares “as a nightmare” and confirmed that he will not pay attention to demonstrations by the owners of these small vehicles in front of the governorate, adding he would “not allow this vehicle to walk freely in the streets of the Cairo Governorate, so as not to turn into a disaster such as microbuses, based on the fact that traffic law prohibits the conduct of this vehicle within the Cairo Governorate and cities.” Wazir announced during the initial meeting of the commission on industrial production of the Shura Council, headed by Engineer Mohamed Farid Khamis, to discuss the request of MP Shawky Younis on low levels of security and safety in transportation, and to discuss “banning building any residential towers on the highway, as well as a ban on any government buildings or universities or schools in Cairo in order to facilitate citizens ` movement within Cairo Governorate and ease overcrowding.” The governor added that he faced “great suffering” since he took office 7 years ago because of “overlapping borders and jurisdictions and the mixing between the governorate of Cairo and Greater Cairo, especially after the territory became 5 governorates recently.” Cairo was split into Cairo, Giza, al-Qalyoubiyah, Helwan and 6th of October, respectively. Wazir said it has been planned that the number of metro lines in Cairo to reach 17 lines in the near future in order to link the capital and urban communities. He recognized the existence of “many problems plaguing the governorate,” stressing that some of the projects that were implemented “did not achieve its purpose,” pointing out that the first and second lines of the Metro did not solve the transportation and traffic crisis as was desired. BM
