CAIRO - London is famous for its red, double-decker buses, but then again Alexandria is famous for its double-decker trams. Pictured is one of these trams, towing a single-decker carriage (not visible in the photo), which has just pulled into Mahattat el-Raml, near the famous Cecil Hotel, in the heart of Alex. In fact, this hotel, located near the Corniche, was recently renamed the Sofitel, but everyone still calls it by its old name. In Cairo, the trams cost PT50 a ride, while in Alexandria they are even cheaper, only costing PT25. Although they get well used, they're generally in better condition than the ones in the capital. Trams are a very environment-friendly means of transport. What the authorities in Cairo ought to do is spend a few million pounds on upgrading the tram system. They ought also to start thinking about reopening some of the old lines, for example the one in Shubra and those in el-Abbasiya and Ataba, which were regrettably closed in the late 1990s. If the trains themselves were given a lick of paint and the attention they get in Alex, this might encourage more Cairenes to use them, thereby reducing traffic jams and also the pollution caused by cars. Alexandria has paved the way, in a manner of speaking.
