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Protests, arrests as Cairo metro fares skyrocket

Sudden and drastic price hikes have upset the millions of Egyptians who depend on the Cairo metro every day.
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Egypt's Ministry of Transport hiked Cairo's metro fares by up to 250% in a sudden move that angered more than 3 million Egyptian commuters. The decision adds to the already high costs of living amid recent austerity measures taken as part of a $12 billion IMF loan agreement signed in 2016.

Effective May 11, the base fare will be 3 Egyptian pounds ($0.17) for up to nine stops, 5 pounds ($0.28) for 10-16 stops and 7 pounds ($0.39) for more than 16 stops. The increase will not affect students, the elderly and people with special needs. The ministry had previously raised the fare from 1 to 2 pounds for an unlimited number of stops in March 2017.

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