The Minister of Transportation, Dr Mohamed Rashad, held a meeting with directors and officials of transportation authorities, companies and the ministry, to study plans for the coming period. The directors shared their vision for the future, stressing the necessity of providing and developing infrastructure. They also discussed the importance of reshaping transportation so that it suits citizens' needs. Ibrahim Aamer, Head of the General Authority for Roads, Bridges and Land Transport, spoke on violations of maximum weight regulations on Egypt's highways. The government has had trouble enforcing the regulations, which are designed to prevent heavy vehicles from causing damage to the roads. Hany Hegab, Head of the Egyptian Railway Authorities, noted the danger posed by railway strikes and sit-ins and their negative effect on the economy. He called on security forces to intervene immediately to protect Egypt's vital railway system. General El-Sayed Hadaya, Head of the Maritime Transport Sector of the Ministry of Transportation, said that Egypt's ports are currently being improved and that the ministry is undertaking a number of investment projects. He added that the ports are capable of driving the Egyptian economy forward. Ahmed Kamal, Head of the Holding Company for Bridges and Roads, noted that the problems affecting Nile companies are caused by lack of financing. General Hussein El-Harmeel, head of the Cairo Crossing Company, spoke about the problems that hinder his company from fulfilling its duties in the transportation sector. He pointed out that the company is using the most modern technology in maritime transportation. General Mohamed El-Demerdash, President of Superjet, called for greater efforts to organise transportation in Egypt, particularly in order to address congestion in the greater Cairo area. Mahmoud Gamal El-Din, Head of the Railway Projects Company, stated that his company had finalised plans to contribute to the railway budget in the coming period. At the meeting's conclusion, Rashad emphasised the need to quickly resolve these problems and called on the heads of the Ministry's agencies and companies to study possible solutions. He also said that the Ministry would work with other government agencies to come up with efficient scientific solutions for the problems discussed in the meeting, stressing the need for information sharing and collective action. The Minister called for greater reliance on rail and river transport for commercial goods. He expressed confidence that the heads of the relevant agencies and companies are capable of solving all of the problems currently facing the Ministry.
