Egypt to Launch Tracking App for Public Buses

One of the biggest obstacles to solve Cairo's dire traffic situation is its deteriorating, inhumane public transportation network. In the government's effort to tackle the issue, Egypt's Transport and Finance Ministers, Hisham Arafat and Mohamed Maeit, announced that Cairo's public buses will now be traceable on Google Maps through a new app launched by the government, allowing commuters to anticipate arrival times as well as the estimated time to get to destination, Egypt Independent reports.

The application is officially the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, and could potentially help increase demand and reliance on public transportation, pending further revamping of the public network's rusty and overcrowded vehicles, a process which already started last year.

Hisham Arafat further explained that the ministry is currently working on a comprehensive plan to eventually integrate the public transportation network with that of the Cairo Metro, citing the role of digital technology as crucial to the development of a modern public transportation service in Cairo.

The name of the app and its exact launch date have yet to be announced.