Egypt’s Ministry of Transport has said on Saturday that the stations for the country’s first monorail, which is currently under construction, will be named after certain entities, not businessmen.
The ministry’s made the statement amid a controversy over reports that it would be naming some of the monorail’s stations after prominent businessmen in exchange for money to fund the stations’ construction costs.
However, the ministry has dismissed these reports and called on media outlets to investigate the accuracy of news before publishing so as not to confuse the public.
The ministry seeks to name some monorail stations and other modern modes of mass transport after entities, including companies, universities, and banks, and “not after the businessmen who own these entities,” the statement said.
The move is part of the ministry’s advertising, commercial, and marketing investment plan for monorail stations and modern mass transport, the statement added.
However, some stations will be named after national symbols such as Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy and former prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat in recognition of the contributions they made to the Egyptian people.
Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir told Sada El-Balad TV channel on Tuesday that the ministry plans to partially fund transportation projects by naming stations after entities in exchange for donations from these entities.
A monorail station being constructed in front of ‘One-ninety’—a residential compound under construction in New Cairo district—will be named after the compound, the minister explained.
The compound has already made an upfront payment of 1 million euros, and will pay another 5 million euros in installments, El-Wazir added.
The cost for constructing each station is 6 million euros, according to El-Wazir.
“The construction of the monorail and the light rail transit (LRT) will cost a lot, and we can’t depend on the tickets to cover the costs, and so we will use their stations as investments,” the minister added.
The minister also revealed that advertisement spaces will be sold on the LRT and monorail as well as on their tickets. Shops, restaurants, and food courts at the stations will also be available for rent.
Egypt’s first monorail is set to operate by 2023 with two lines extending 100 km linking West and East Cairo, making the network the longest of its kind in the world.
The first phase of the country’s first LRT and its starting point — the Adly Mansour Interchange Station — which will connect the New Administrative Capital (NAC) with the rest of the country’s cities and governorates, were inaugurated in July 2022.
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