Ever been fed up taking taxis everywhere you go? Waiting on the street, sticking out a salutary arm and flagging down some battered old 1980's fiat about to vomit up its own engine? Now, and I really do feel glad for the tourist when I say this, there really is an alternative. Any unsuspecting tourist coming to Egypt for the first time, or even a resident, either indigenous or ex-pat, taking a break from Cairo, is no longer subjected to the throes of riding the public taxi. The recently-launched Anytime Limos is offering a cheap, sweet and swift service for tourists who'd rather not have their holidays dominated by infuriating taxi haggling. Anytime Limo, powered by' Hertz Egypt, is advertised as a swish new service geared to take over Egypt's tourist transportation. "We are a totally new concept, Sherif Rawhy, told Daily News Egypt. "We are offering an all-inclusive prepaid card, payable on credit card. We offer unlimited, all-inclusive services, as well as being in coordination with tour operators. This means that tourists can organize their entire budget before traveling. Rawhy is the CEO of Egyptian Riviera Tours, one of the leading tourism companies in Egypt. He also sits on the board of directors of Hertz Egypt. "We divided Hurghada [which was the point of launch for Anytime Limo], into seven zones. Using the latest software, technology and the most efficient cars, we can provide an efficient service for tourists. It's already taking off in Hurghada, and we predict the service will be launched in Sharm El-Sheikh and Aswan by the end of the summer season. It goes without saying that Anytime Limo's isn't for your average rugged backpacker. A 'smooth running holiday' perhaps isn't what they're looking for. Rather, it's a service for the relatively wealthy who plan to enjoy Egypt in style. But the term relatively wealthy - which describes any foreign tourist, compared to pithy indigenous wages - deserves some rhetorical thrust. Looking at the price packages, when Anytime Limo say "budget, in limo-speak, they mean it. Their Golden Package offers unlimited services at ?36 for a week. Perfect for families or elderly tourists for whom riding local taxis is not the kind of adventure travel they really care for. There's also a silver and bronze package available, at ?22 for three days and ?15 for one day respectively - again with unlimited service. Anytime Limo are offering "highly efficient chauffeurs - reassuring considering driving skills here in Egypt leave much to be desired. It's a fact that allows one to overlook the ill-phrased wording on the website of "an opportunity to monopolizing Hurghada's and other resorts tourist transportation means. Anytime Limo are soon to be launched in Aswan, Sharm El-Sheikh and Luxor. Might this present a stand-off between the horse carriage and limo? Perhaps with a camel or two half-way between them? If I were the camel, I'd take the limousine and leave the horse and carriage somewhere in the 19th century. In any case, if it came to a show down between limos and your average taxis, I'm not hedging my bets on the winner. "You wish you could take us home, say Anytime Limo's. Damn right I do, and only because my poor car recently got sold for scrap. With those prices, I could be king of the road for a good long while. Visit www.anytime-limo.com
