Egypt is witnessing a set of vital national projects in the urban transport sector. These projects are part of the comprehensive plan framework established by the Ministry of Transport (MOT). Currently, the Egyptian government is underway to start implementing the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to be run for the first time in Egypt on the Cairo Ring Road (CRR). &ldquo;The ring road encircles&nbsp;Greater Cairo, considered one of the main traffic axis that links key locations of the city, with approximately 213,000 cars driving on it a day&rdquo; (Mostafa, 2021). Upon completion, the BRT is expected to enhance urban mobility, reduce daunting traffic congestions along the road, and cater to the demand for sustainable public transport (PT). The implementation of Cairo&rsquo;s BRT could be a first step to establish a new high-capacity PT.&nbsp;
The construction of the project will begin by the end of this year to coincide with the development of the CRR itself. The CRR is witnessing a comprehensive development along 106 kilometers varying between upgrading and expansion. The underway upgrade starts from the Autostrad road to the Al-Marioutya road, while the Autostrad bridge is undergoing an expansion by 30 percent. The CRR is being developed to encompass seven lanes in each direction instead of the current four, except for the Mounib bridge, which will have eight lanes in each direction. Therefore, this would accommodate as many BRT vehicles as possible. &ldquo;The renovation of the CRR intends to widen the road, enhance services it provides, accommodate traffic congestion and reduce trip time for drivers, as well as reduce the energy consumed by vehicles,&rdquo; Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir announced in May 2020.
This commentary sheds light on the new BRT on Cairo&rsquo;s ring road, identifying the benefits of this project, as well as the implications on banning microbuses. The commentary also suggests looking at PT systems outside rail, especially bus-based transit-oriented development (BTOD) systems. Finally, it highlights some recommendations that could contribute to the project&rsquo;s success in the future.
<h3>The benefits of Cairo&rsquo;s BRT project</h3>
In general, BRT is known as a bus-based mass transit system with dedicated right of way lanes (bus lanes) in which buses are given priority at intersections. These lanes increase BRT movement speed through crowded cities that suffer from traffic congestions such as Cairo. The BRT system first appeared in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974, after which it achieved success in many cities worldwide. Among the cities that adopt this system are Ottawa, Curitiba, Istanbul, Bogota, Mexico City, Seoul, Bangkok, Ahmedabad, Guangzhou, and many others (Cervero, 2013). The BRT system encompasses many features such as infrastructure and dedicated running ways, rolling stock (i.e., capacity, performances, attractiveness), stations, network design, systems (i.e., frequent service operation, trip information, management), and the electronic payment and collection system (off -board fare collection).&nbsp;
The system gained popularity for&nbsp; number of reasons, including (1) being a cheaper alternative to implement than expensive urban rail systems, (2) it can be implemented in phases to minimize disruption, (3) it is cleaner, faster, attractive, and accessible than regular buses, (4) it is characterized by high-quality service, in terms of travel time, user comfort and affordable cost, (5) the&nbsp; integrated intelligent transport system (ITS) that provides commuters with the bus arrival times in advance, and (5) having the ability to adapt to different contexts of cities. Introducing BRT in Cairo would help improve the connectivity between the new communities of New Cairo, 6th of October City, central Cairo, and Giza.&nbsp;
The project would also meet the demand increase on PT when the Egyptian government moves to the New Administrative Capital (45 kilometers Eastern Cairo), which is currently under construction. Besides, the BRT has the potential to improve accessibility in Greater Cairo by connecting its network to the subsystems. It would also be connected to main terminals on the Ring Road, such as El-Marg and El-Mounib. The BRT buses are considered a robust complementary system that connects the pre-existing systems as metro, railway lines, the subways, and paratransit as well as future PT systems such as Cairo&rsquo;s new monorail. Since a number of BRT passengers would be non-motorized transport (NMT) users, connecting the NMT infrastructure should be also taken into consideration. In this vein, Cairo&rsquo;s BRT project would help transform the commuters&rsquo; travel experience along the CRR and urban mobility as well.&nbsp;
<h3>The implications of banning regulations</h3>
Since the CRR provides an indispensable route for private cars and taxis, microbuses, regular buses, trucks, and containers, it is a source of many traffic accidents, many of which have been fatal. In response to this and to the BRT project, the General Authority for Roads, Bridges &amp; Land Transport (GARBLT) sets out mobility regulations for (1) the operating time of heavy trucks and containers, to be shortened to begin after midnight from twelve to six in the morning, and (2) the microbuses to be banned on the CRR by the end of December 2021 (Mostafa, 2021). At a broader level, the two regulations would have environmental benefits including curtailing fuel consumption and reducing vehicular air pollution along the corresponding areas of the project.
Trucks particularly pose a danger to other road users on several levels. Therefore, the implications of restricting the operating time of trucks aim at maintaining smooth traffic flows during rush hours or the daytime, reducing noise and air pollution, and traffic accidents. The microbuses also play a major share in traffic congestion and disturbances, as they randomly operate and their stops between terminals are not identified (can stop anywhere), and are often unruly.&nbsp;
The implications of banning the microbuses would help decrease traffic congestion and commuters would gradually shift to BRT, thus increasing BRT ridership. As a corollary, switching to BRT system raises person capacity per lane, which measures the space efficiency of the travel mode. For example, the Hubli-Dharwad BRT system in India&rsquo;s&nbsp; ridership along the critical corridor has grown to 90,000 passengers a day within a year of its launch. One in five passengers has switched from other modes of transport, and commuter satisfaction has soared from 56&nbsp;to 85.5 percent (GUPTA, 2020).&nbsp;
<h3>Evaluating project success and performance</h3>
Many questions have arisen concerning Cairo&rsquo;s BRT success, including: will banning regulations prove to be effective in the long run? If yes, to what extent? What are the implications of the project on minimizing dependence on private cars upon completion? Does Cairo&rsquo;s BRT system meet the end-users&rsquo; mobility needs? The answer to these questions could be found in these two approaches: the community performance approach (CPA) and regional performance approach (RPA), which evaluate the success or failure of transit-oriented development (TOD) projects (Singh, 2015).&nbsp;
The former would encompass a monitoring system specific to Cairo citizens that is created to track bus transit-oriented development (BTOD) indicators towards achieving local goals. The latter measures the holistic success of Cairo&rsquo;s BRT project on the CRR compared with the rest of the corridors or the region. For both approaches, there is a need to collect data over time at regular intervals to assess commuters&rsquo; feedback. The data for the same areas should be collected before the BRT is initiated and compared with post-implementation to assist in the evaluation of its success and performance. By analyzing the collected data, a number of aspects can be identified, including the new regulations&rsquo; effectiveness (ridership, private car usage, etc.), quality of service and commuters&rsquo; satisfaction, needs, and perceptions.
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
Noticeably, Egypt nowadays is seeking to maximize the mass transit system and TOD as a long-term approach for sustainable urban mobility. Cairo&rsquo;s BRT would be a great leap towards achieving TOD. Although the project would have an impact on enhancing PT system and mobility, it is not sufficient on its own in the long term. Therefore, there is a need to leverage the opportunities arising from the project (Ibrahim, 2021).
Embracing active mobility can be considered a complementary strategy for the success of the project, as it provides seamless linkages and safe transfers between the CRR and the pre-existing and new systems. The resulting synergy between the BRT and NMT can create a degree of comfort, access, and flexibility for BRT users which can compete with that of private cars. Therefore, NMT network provisions can deliver improvement in urban mobility. The following are also a number of recommendations that could contribute to the success of Cairo&rsquo;s BRT project:
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Establishing multimodal integration to improve connectivity between the BRT stations and other networks.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Facilitating well-designed station access to ensure that a BRT system is accessible by everyone, including individuals with disabilities.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Prioritizing investments and improvements to NMT infrastructure along the corridor: city leaders (at governorate and local levels) must develop design standards, and infrastructure investments for pedestrians and cyclists. Besides, enforcing road use conventions to make streets safer for different road users.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Competent authorities should frame local BRT guidelines including (1) planning BRT operations&nbsp;to optimize service capacity, frequency, and ridership (i.e., mapping routes, demand analysis, and traffic impact assessment), and (2) physical infrastructure requirements (i.e., roadway design, station configurations, intersection design, etc.).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Concentrating mixed developments of different urban activities (commercial, residential, jobs, etc.) in the catchment area of BRT stations. Moreover, updating development and building regulations (i.e., building setbacks, block size, plot coverage, etc.) to promote good urban form (Kost et al., 2018).</li>
</ul>
<hr>
References
<ul>
<li>
Cervero, R. (2013). Bus rapid transit (BRT): An efficient and competitive mode of public transport. IURD Working Paper 2013-01, October, 1&ndash;36. <a href="http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4sn2f5wc.pdf">http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4sn2f5wc.pdf</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Egypt Today. (2020). Egypt to introduce for 1st time ever BRT buses in Greater Cairo&rsquo;s Ring Road. <a href="https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/91278/Egypt-to-introduce-for-1st-time-ever-BRT-buses-in">https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/91278/Egypt-to-introduce-for-1st-time-ever-BRT-buses-in</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Gupta, N. (2020). India: New bus rapid transit system makes travel faster, safer and more convenient in Hubballi-Dharwad. <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/india-new-bus-rapid-transit-system-makes-travel-faster-safer-and-more">https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/india-new-bus-rapid-transit-system-makes-travel-faster-safer-and-more</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Ibrahim, S. M. S. Z. (2021). Integrated transport planning: Opportunities ahead for seamless mobility in Alexandria city, Egypt. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350789271_Integrated_transport_planning_Opportunities_ahead_for_seamless_mobility_in_Alexandria_city_Egypt">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350789271_Integrated_transport_planning_Opportunities_ahead_for_seamless_mobility_in_Alexandria_city_Egypt</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Kost, C., ELDeeb, N., Gachoya, M., Yang, L., &amp; Sorour, M. (2018). Cairo bus rapid transit project - Corridor access audit. <a href="https://www.mobiliseyourcity.net/cairo-bus-rapid-transit-corridor-access-audit-report">https://www.mobiliseyourcity.net/cairo-bus-rapid-transit-corridor-access-audit-report</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Projects Today. (2021). Work to begin on bus rapid transit lanes at Cairo Ring road. <a href="https://www.projectstoday.com/News/Work-to-begin-on-Bus-Rapid-Transit-lanes-at-Cairo-Ring-Road">https://www.projectstoday.com/News/Work-to-begin-on-Bus-Rapid-Transit-lanes-at-Cairo-Ring-Road</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Said, O. (2020). BRT buses are an alternative to the microbus on the ring road: transporting 4000 passengers per hour. El Watan. <a href="https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/4955776?t=push">https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/4955776?t=push</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Singh, Y. J. (2015). Measuring transit-oriented development (TOD) at regional and local scales &ndash; A planning support tool [University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Netherlands]. <a href="https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036539982">https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036539982</a>
</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">
Mostafa, H. (2021). Telephone conversation with major general engineer / Hossam El-Din Mustafa, head of the general authority for roads and bridges [Video]. Youtube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzHjbNKV4Tw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzHjbNKV4Tw&nbsp;</a>
</li>
</ul>

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