CAIRO: On Wednesday, the new metered and air-conditioned taxis were given the opportunity to join the throng of Egyptians making their way through the over-crowded and poorly maintained roads. With the state of Egyptian traffic in as abysmal a shape as it currently is, and with the number of traffic-related deaths mounting, The Daily Star Egypt wanted to find out how the traffic problem is perceived. Not surprisingly, the overall response focused on the lack of organization, enforcement and respect. It's gotten to the point where we can't even joke about it anymore. Before, you used to be able to just laugh about the traffic, but now you can't. Almost everyday you see an accident either on the bridge, in a tunnel or on the road, and nothing is being done about it. Everyone is talking about the reforms in the economy, and yet this problem which is maybe the biggest we have is being ignored by the government.Sherif, engineer Almost getting into an accident is now an everyday event. It's impossible to actually get where you need to go without their being a problem. People seem to think that just because they are holding the steering wheel, they are in complete control. They're not, and they're hurting other people because of they're stupidity.Ahmed, media representative Even though I like the idea of the new taxis, I don't understand how they can bring even more cars into the city, without dealing with the current ones. Almost all of them are broken down and nobody knows how to drive. But it's not only the taxis. Even the privately owned cars [normal, everyday] are in bad shape, and are driven by people who shouldn't even be allowed to have licenses.Shereen, accountant Why is nobody dealing with this situation? Everyday, people are getting killed or injured in traffic accidents, and nobody is doing anything. There are no laws that are enforced and nobody bothers to pay attention to them. It's a jokeMohamed, shop owner I used to enjoy driving my taxi a long time ago, when people used to respect each other. Now, people just drive where they want to, and if they almost hit you they always blame you. Everybody blames the bad streets. But it's not the bad streets. It's the people driving on them.Adel, taxi driver That question is very simple to answer. There are almost no civilized people driving on the street. Everybody is only concerned with getting where they have to go, and even if they are not in a rush, they will try their best not to let you get ahead of them, which causes so many of the accidents. Something has to be done, and we have been saying this for years.May, marketing associate I guess the government's way of fixing the traffic problem is to put more cars on the street. I don't understand it. The new taxis are expensive, I don't think many people will use them and they will not solve anything. All these new taxis have accomplished is that now there are more cars to get into accidents.Yasmine, business development I know that there are lot of problems in Egypt, like poverty and corruption, but traffic shouldn't be ignored; it is just as big a problem. I have seen so many accidents, and unfortunately people are getting used to seeing them, which is not good.Khaled, unemployed It is not only traffic, although that is the main one. What about parking? They keep building new buildings and offices and don't have anywhere to park. What about crossings? People are in so much danger every time they try to cross the street. That shouldn't be happening.Alaa, teacher I thought that I would like driving, once I received my license, but I do not. Although I used to drive, now I always take the metro, which is much easier, even though it is crowded. Hussein, student
