CAIRO – The Ministry of Transportation is bracing for a massive travel rush as millions of people across the country will start making their way home for spending el-Adha holiday with their families, a senior official said on Wednesday. The Egyptians, who celebrate this four-day feast, which marks the end of the annual pilgrimage, will use the occasion to celebrate the feast, which traditionally involves family reunions and elaborate banquets of food. Hani Hegab, the chairman of the Railways Authority, said he expected millions of people would travel by trains before the feast, which is expected to start on November 6. People are expected to start travelling at least three days before the feast which falls Sunday, and the Ministry had prepared the railways to brace for a holiday push and added more services, Hegab said. Millions of passengers are expected to take trains during the travel period, he added. "More than 24 trains will be added to the existing services to meet the expected increase in the number of passengers," Hegab said. Meanwhile, the Cairo police said that they would launch a crackdown on gangs in the capital area to arrest fugitives, suspects, hawkers and sellers of fireworks before the feast. The crackdown is part of a major sweep that has been ordered by Minister of Interior Major-General Mansour el-Essawi, security sources said. The Greater Cairo, in particular, during the feast has a reputation for being a fertile firework-selling region ruled by outlaws, the sources said. Every year, Egyptians waste around LE220 million (about $39 million) on fireworks which the Government should ban their importation and sale to children. Officials have declared these fireworks dangerous because they can injure the users and anyone standing near them. Although the Government has approved a law that incriminates importing and selling of dangerous fireworks, it is normally ignored and rarely applied. The sources said that the police beef up security in a bid to prevent the usual array of eid offences, including women being harassed in the public places in the city such as parks, gardens and squares. In ensuring the security of the eid revellers we cannot afford to be lax or lenient; it's a big responsibility, the sources said, adding that the police drew up a security plan to prevent any major incidents in Cairo during the feast.
