World Bank Note: April 10, 2017 Note 1: Operationalizing the Greater Cairo Transport Regulatory Authority (GCTRA) Urban transport in Cairo requires an efficient planning and regulatory agency. Advocated by the World Bank, GCTRA is the new entity dedicated to the planning and regulation of urban transport across the entirety of Greater Cairo. Located in the Ministry of Transport (MOT), GCTRA has already received support from the World Bank though a $300K grant, which funded a consultant to create an operational plan, organizational structure, logo and identity, and workshops. https://tfl.gov.uk/ On the left is the logo for GCTRA. This agency is designed similarly to regulatory authorities worldwide. A well-known example is that of Transport for London. Below is a chart of sample services provided by Transport for London. These include but are not limited to: making public buses greener, implementing cashless payment methods for London Cabs, mapping the metro lines on an online app, integrating the Oyster card between different transport modes, and improving pedestrian infrastructure. GCTRA has already developed a list of quick-win solutions to the urban transport problem in Cairo. Previous presentations have garnered the interest of donor agencies such as AFD and EBRD. As the central agency for data collection, GCTRA can play a leadership role in Greater Cairo Urban Transport. However, GCTRA still needs to develop its capacity. Capacity Building: This organization chart recommends that the CEO, planning, and administrative staff are hired. The consultant IDOM had submitted a full staffing chart. The Bank recommends a committee undertake a global search to hire a professional Egyptian CEO with an attractive compensation package. Other positions could be filled up using an advertisement and interview process or by obtaining services of candidates on secondment from existing agencies. 1|Page World Bank Note: April 10, 2017 Obtaining financial resources would be the other component of the internal capacity building effort. It is necessary for the Board to approve GCTRA structure (organization chart) to obtain the requisite funds from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) for meeting the administrative expenses of the GCTRA and also meet the salary expenses of its staff. Possible Quick-Wins for GCTRA: Due to the institutional fragmentation of transport agencies in Greater Cairo, it is important that GCTRA demonstrate that it will not acquire the work of other agencies. Rather, GCTRA’s work should complement other’s work and play an active coordination and convening role. Otherwise, GCTRA can take up projects no one else is doing at present, such as a few niche activities that will help it establish its presence and create a support base. Some suggested quick wins are listed below: 1. Create a few inter-modal transfer terminals, park and ride facilities or new parking complexes, 2. Develop a common fare collection system to be used across all modes of public transport and set up the compensation chamber, 3. Endorse a region-wide parking plan and a region-wide walkability plan, 4. Create a few committees with specific tasks, such as reviewing a variety of standards, identifying additional activities for GCTRA, etc., 5. Identify 10 – 15 inter-governorate bus routes for deluxe/express services to be contracted for operation by private operators, 6. Develop a comprehensive mobility plan to cover the entire region as the JICA study needed updating and improvement. Such a plan should be finalized after several consultation workshops. GCTRA should also take the lead in negotiating finances for such projects. 7. Take the lead in proceeding with a mass transit project to connect Ramses Square with New Cairo. Further explanation of these solutions is provided in the Annex. 2|Page World Bank Note: April 10, 2017 Annex 1. Inter-modal Transfer terminals: Already, there are many makeshift locations across Cairo where micro-buses and large CTA buses pick up passengers outside of metro stations. Usually, this causes a bottleneck to appear on the main road during rush hour, exacerbating the traffic and increasing pollution. Problem: lack of bus stop outside Metro Problem: Lack of designated bus stops Possible Solution Possible Solution The stations should be selected across central Cairo where such bottlenecks commonly appear. Only an entity like GCTRA can cut through red tape and contact the relevant authorities to build simple bus terminals. They will have to work with the Ministry of Interior to remove parked cars from the street sides and paint bus only signs on the road. 2. Parking lots in Central Cairo Another important development will be to help commission the private sector to build parking lots in certain high-density neighborhoods of Central Cairo such as Giza, Dokki, and Mohandiseen. This will help remove parked cars from along the main streets and decrease the level of crowding. These roads can be given bus prioritization. A successful example is the recently inaugurated Tahrir Parking lot. The Underground Parking Garage in Cairo’s Tahrir Square has a capacity of 1700 cars and 24 tourist buses. Built over 15 years from 2000-2015 by the Arab Contractors, this parking lot has been commended as changing the face of Tahrir Square. Furthermore, 21 air conditioned microbuses operate in downtown from this garage. A prepaid card service is available for the use of the garage. The total cost of this four story underground parking was 675 million EGP. 3|Page World Bank Note: April 10, 2017 Other parking lots similar to this one would revolutionize certain very crowded areas with high density due to them being near schools, business centers, or markets. 3. Park & Rides in Greater Cairo Park and Rides are an important technique used to limit the amount of passenger cars entering a crowded or distant city with limited parking space. People can park their cars in these wide parking lots for an entire day while they take the Park & Ride bus into town. The private sector can be involved by contracting certain inter- governorate bus routes between Cairo’s suburbs and central Cairo. The PPP model can be used here as GCTRA can work with the government to acquire or rent the land for the Park and Ride stop, while the private sector would operate it. There is very little infrastructure needed, unless a several story parking lot is developed. Examples of locations of Park & Rides are found in the diagram to the right. These connect locations of high population density, where the population owns a car. 4|Page