Fatal microbus-train crash in Alex; crackdown on drivers over fare increases

A collision between a microbus and a train in Egypt’s second city of Alexandria resulted in one fatality and five injures. Elsewhere across the country, numerous microbus drivers are reported to have been penalized for violating new regulations on fares in light of the government’s recent hike in fuel prices.

On Tuesday, traffic authorities in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria reported that a train collided with a microbus as it was driving through a railroad crossing in the Maamoura district, in the east of the city.

According to a host of private media outlets citing Alexandrian traffic authorities, one passenger is reported to have died and five others were injured in the collision.

Such fatal accidents are a common occurrence at railroad crossings across Egypt as there are often no gates or barriers to keep vehicles from driving into speeding trains.

Also on Tuesday, several hundreds of microbus drivers were reportedly issued fines for violating regulations on new fares, in light of the government’s lifting of subsidies on gasoline, natural gas and diesel.

The private Sada al-Balad website reported that the Interior Ministry issued approximately 780 tickets and fines to microbus drivers for raising their fares beyond the 10 percent dictated by the government of Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb.

However, the number of fines could not be independently verified.

Both state-owned and private news outlets reported on Tuesday that the Interior Ministry has embarked on nationwide inspections of microbus stations to keep fares in line with the 10 percent increase mandated.

The private Al-Bawaba News Portal, which tows the government line, reported that 16 “exploitative” microbus drivers in Giza Govenorate had their licenses revoked and/or their vehicles impounded for increasing their fares beyond the dictated 10 percent.

The state-owned Al-Akhbar Newspaper reported that another 11 microbuses and five taxis had their licenses revoked and were issued fines by police at checkpoints across the Nile Delta Governorate of Damietta on Tuesday, for not abiding by the stipulated fares.

Even Prime Minister Mehleb conducted an inspection of the microbus station in downtown Cairo’s Abdel Moneim Riyad Square on Tuesday to ensure that drivers are abiding by the new fare restrictions.

News circulated on social networking sites that several microbus drivers were arrested on Tuesday for raising their fares beyond the government's dictates, protesting/striking, or arguing with passengers. These reports could not be confirmed, however.

Microbus and taxi drivers nationwide have been unsettled by the government’s new limited fares, claiming that it is not in line with the price hikes on fuel — some of which increased by 78 percent.

Since Saturday, erratic fares imposed by drivers have resulted in countless numbers of arguments and fights between them and their passengers. Many other microbus owners and/or drivers have embarked on strikes since the fuel subsidies were lifted.

In an interview with the private Youm 7 website, microbus driver Mohamed Tawfiq described the government’s new fares as “decimating drivers’ livelihoods.”