Mohamed Hegazy has always been fascinated by the urban environment and the city. As a researcher of open data, he was interested in widespread access to information to contribute directly to sustainable development.
Based on some of his research and personal experiences, Egypt suffers from a pronounced lack of accessible data. For example, transit users have poor access to information in order to get to their daily destinations. Little to no information is available on routes, stops, and services’ frequency and schedules exist neither in analogue nor in digital form. Furthermore, 40% of Cairo’s transportation is covered by informally organized microbuses - with no related information existing at all. This poses a societal challenge with negative interlinked environmental, economic and social impacts. It directly affects children going to school, women accessing health services, the urban poor maintaining jobs, and refugees and other vulnerable groups’ ability to navigate cities and become active members of society.
To tackle this issue, Hegazy was inspired to map Cairo’s transportation system and make public transit more legible for the public. Starting with an innovative methodology that has been pioneered and proven in other countries of the global south, including Nairobi, Dhaka and Manilla, Transport for Cairo (TfC) has been developing localized data collection tools that can be re-used to map all of Egypt’s, and potentially Africa’s cities. This would enhance the quality of research and level of understanding of transit service provision in urban environments.
Through TfC, daily commuters will have access to formal and informal transportation including bus & metro systems in digital and printed formats such as online websites, mobile applications and printed maps. Hegazy believes an affordable and quick commute is key to any successful employment and therefore, it is crucial for the economic and social well-being of Egyptians, and the countries of sustainable development.