1. Interview by Ahmed Alahwal with railway inspectors, at the Egyptian railways company (2021a):
Alahwal, A.: Is it possible to take the bicycle on the train
Inspector 1 Cairo: a bike? We can give it a package ticket
Alahwal, A.: How much is it?
Inspector 1 Cairo: a package ticket can be 31 L.E. or 51 L.E., depends on the distance, where are you going?
Alahwal, A.: Alexandria
Inspector 1 Cairo: Then 31 L.E.
Alahwal, A.: How much is the package ticket for the bicycle on the train?
Inspector 2 Alexandria: where are you going?
Alahwal, A.: Cairo
Inspector 2 Alexandria: 51 L.E.
Alahwal, A.: but I booked it for 31 on my way from Cairo
Inspector 2 Alexandria: this train is a VIP train, 51 is the least ticket for packages
2. Various Interviews by Ahmed Alahwal with users of and experts involved in cycling infrastructure projects in Egypt (2021b)
Interviews were conducted, between February and April 2021, based on two semi-structured interview guides, one for officials involved in cycling infrastructure projects, and one for users in project areas.
Experts interview guide
We are a group that is working on documenting the use and infrastructure of cycling in Egypt and its infrastructure, and we study the needs of users and the latest infrastructure developments.
Can you tell us about the project?
What are its goals and steps?
Probes: Useful for transportation – for health – for safety on the road – to reduce pollution – for social cohesion
Probes: short and long term goals?
Is transportation easy to use in the project area?
Probes: walking is easy – there is a lot of transportation –
Why are there many/little people cycling?
probes: distance – time – cost – risk of injury – theft – personal safety – comfort – fatigue – merit – fault (for women) – children
Did the project make transportation easier for people?
Probes: for work, study, food, purchases, or treatment
Did it make exercise more accessible? Decrease pollution
Who uses bicycles in the project area? Who is the target of the project?
Probes: Men only or mostly? Poorer residents only or often? young ones, always or majority?
Why these groups?
Probes: lack of money? for work? for leisure? sport? child playing? Low status symbol?
How do you recognize this person?
Were some of the groups involved in the project
Did the project increase or decrease traffic?
From which users was space taken for the project?
Who initiated this project?
And who implemented it?
And any other partner institutions?
Who bears the costs/expenses?
What is the reason you work in this area?
Has the number of people who cycle increased?
Were there discussion sessions organised with users or partners? Or did they ask about the project while being implemented?
What was their interest? Input?
Users interview guide
We are a group that is working on documenting the use and infrastructure of cycling in Egypt and its infrastructure, and we study the needs of users and the latest infrastructure developments.
From your point of view, what do you think in general about cycling infrastructure projects: like street bike paths, corner bikes, or bike-sharing projects?
Probes: useful or not – useful for transportation – for health – for safety on the road – to reduce pollution – for social cohesion
What do you think of this project?
Did the number of people cycling increase?
Did it increase or decrease traffic?
From whom was space on the road taking for the cycling infrastructure?
Who initiated this project? And who implemented it?
What is the reason for building the project in this area?
Who uses bicycles here? Who is targeted by the project?
Why are those targeted?
How and why do they use it?
What do they look like, how do you recognize them?
Which group is more common?
In which group do you consider yourself?
Which ones pushed for the project?
Have the project initiators come to ask people while they are working on the project? Or did a session or meeting?
What were they asking about?
Did they have something ready?
What did you think in the meeting?
They changed it accordingly?
What encouraged you to go?
Is transportation easy in the area?
Probe: walking is easy – there is a lot of transportation
Why are there many/little people cycling?
Probe: distance – time – cost – risk of injury – theft – personal safety – comfort – fatigue – status – harassment
For you: How do your trips on a normal day in the middle of the week, from where to where, and using which modes?
And rides on a day at the end of the week?
Can you cycle for your trips?
What are the reasons that you are using it (purely/for all trips)?
If you use the infrastructure, has it increased your trips’ accessibility? In which way?
Table of Experts and Users Interviews
| Project | expert / user | expert position / user description |
| Sekketak Khadra project for bicycle racks | expert | Project coordinator |
| user | woman 40s, playing sports next to the project | |
| user | man 20s, playing sports next to the project | |
| user | man 50s, working next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, working in a shop next to the project | |
| user | woman 20s, working in a shop next to the project | |
| user | teenager, working next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, shop owner next to the project | |
| user | man 20s, using the project | |
| user | man 30s, working in a shop next to the project | |
| Shebin el kom bike lanes | expert | Project coordinator from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) |
| expert | urban researcher living next to the project | |
| user | man 50s, taxi driver next to the project | |
| user | man 20s, shop employee cycling next to the project | |
| user | man 60s, cycling next to the project | |
| user | man 40s, shop owner next to the project | |
| user | man 70s, shop-owner next to the project | |
| user | man 50s, bike shop owner | |
| user | man 70s, cycling next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, working next to the project | |
| al-Fayoum bike lanes | expert | Project coordinator from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) |
| user | woman 40s, walking next to the project | |
| user | woman 50s, working next to the project | |
| user | woman, teenager, studying next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, cycling next to the project | |
| user | man 50s, cycling next to the project | |
| user | man 20s, working next to project | |
| UN-Habitat bike lanes | expert | Project assistant from the UN-Habitat |
| expert | Urban planner from a consulting office | |
| Zuwail university | expert | Private contractor for project |
| Sheikh Zayed Nozha street bike lane | expert | City urban planner |
| user | man 40s, working next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, commuting next to the project | |
| user | man 20s, walking next to the project | |
| user | man 20s, cycling next to the project | |
| 6th of october bike lanes | expert | City urban planner |
| user | man 20s, working next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, working next to the project | |
| Ain Sokhna highway bike lane | expert | Project initiator – bike group leader |
| Maadi bike lanes | user | man 40s, working next to the project |
| user | man 40s, working next to the project | |
| user | man 50s, cycling next to the project | |
| Gouna bike lanes | expert | Project urban planner |
| user | woman 30s, living next to project | |
| user | man 30s, cycling next to the project | |
| user | woman 20s living next to the project | |
| user | man 30s, working next to the project | |
| user | woman 50s, living next to the project | |
| Sohag bike lanes | expert | Bike group in the project area |
| user | man 20s, cycling in lane | |
| user | man 40s, cycling in lane | |
| user | man 30s, cycling in lane |
3. Alahwal, A. (2021c) Locations and number of users and funding entity of cycling infrastructure projects in Egypt.
| Project | Location in Egypt: greater Cairo region (GCR) / other cities | Location in city: inner city vs. new urban community¹ | funding entity | number of bikes² | number of non-motorized transport² | numbers of motorized transport² |
| Degla area bikeway, Maadi, Cairo | CCR | inner city | Public | 12 | 39 | 405 |
| Nozha Street bike track, Sheikh Zayed city | GCR | new urban community | Public | 2 | 10 | 1487 |
| Ain al-Sokhna highway bike lane | GCR | new urban community | Public | |||
| Bike lane, Shorouk city | GCR | new urban community | Public | 0 | 7 | 267 |
| Bike lane, Madinaty gated community | GCR | new urban community | Private | 1 | 4 | 584 |
| Bike track, 6th of October city | GCR | new urban community | Public | 0 | 22 | 1431 |
| Sekketak Khadra bike rack projects, Cairo⁴ | GCR | inner city | Civil society | 10 | 377 | 1176 |
| Bike Share, Rehab city | GCR | new urban community | Private | |||
| New Alamain city cycling Network | Other cities | new urban community | Public | |||
| UN-Habitat Downtown bike share³ | GCR | inner city | Civil society | |||
| Downtown Cairo bike lanes³ | GCR | inner city | Civil society | |||
| Shebin el Koum city bike lanes (STP project)⁴ | Other cities | inner city | Civil society | 34 | 664 | 355 |
| Almaza mall bike parking | GCR | new urban community | Private | |||
| Mosheer Mohammed Ali bike lanes | GCR | new urban community | Public | |||
| Gouna city bike lanes⁵ | Other cities | new urban community | Private | 4 | 33 | 324 |
| Gouna city bike share⁵ | Other cities | new urban community | Private | . | ||
| Fayoum city bike lanes (stp)⁴ | Other cities | inner city | Civil society | 18 | 330 | 1089 |
| Sohag city bike lane | Other cities | inner city | Public | 42 | 325 | 1288 |
| Zuwail city university bike share | GCR | new urban community | Private | . | ||
| Beverly hills bike lanes | GCR | new urban community | Private | . | 11 | 468 |
| Alexandria stadum area bike lanes | Other cities | inner city | Public | |||
| Sharm el Sheikh city bike lanes | Other cities | inner city | Public | |||
| New Administrative capital bike lanes | GCR | new urban community | Public | |||
| Masraweyya gated community bike share | GCR | new urban community | Private | |||
| Galala univeristy bike lanes | Other cities | new urban community | Public | |||
| Assiut central train station⁶ | Other cities | inner city | 59 | 314 | 1355 |
| Note | |
| 1 | new urban communities follow the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), and in the case of elgouna, is a private resort |
| 2 | primary counting, done once in a weekday in summer between 10:00 and 10:30 am |
| 3 | counts exemplify a street in downtown where the bike share and bike racks are installed |
| 4 | counts exemplify one street where bike lanes are placed |
| 5 | counts exemplify one street where lanes and bike share are installed |
| 6 | an example with no cycling infrastructure project, but showing number of bicycle users for comparison |
| Location in Egypt | |
| 15 | GCR |
| 9 | other cities |
| Location in city | |
| 9 | inner city |
| 16 | new urban community |
4. Alahwal, A. (2021d) Traffic laws Implementation Poll
The poll was a question posed in one of bike user groups on Facebook, on the 2nd of July 2021. The translation of the poll was as follows:
Question:
Do you know that the traffic law states that every bike should have front and back lights and a bell, and that it forbids a bike user from removing their hands off the steering wheel, or that two bikes ride next to each other?
Have you, or anybody you know, ever got a ticket for breaking any of these rules?
Answers:
– No, this never happened: 51 votes. This answer was added to the poll by the author
– Even traffic policemen don’t know traffic laws: 8 votes. This answer was added to the poll by a respondent
-I am always abiding by these rules: 4 votes. This answer was added to the poll by the author
– Yes, this happened: 0 votes. This answer was added to the poll by the author