Some thoughts on traffic in Cairo

I've mentioned the subject of traffic in Cairo in my blog before, but watching it a little more closely has made me want to write a post about it.

In short, traffic in and around Cairo is utterly chaotic, and as far as I can tell, there are no traffic rules enforced. Fortunately, compared to the United States, speed of vehicles is not an issue, as most drivers tend to drive slow. The major problem with traffic is that drivers simply do what they want to get where they want to go.

I have only seen about two traffic lights in the whole city, in Tahrir Square. Some of the other major traffic squares have police officers to direct traffic. Aside from that, intersections are a free-for-all. There is a section along the bus route in New Cairo where two busy roads intersect and there is no rhyme or reason to cross. The bus just crosses the street slowly and tries to avoid cars coming in the perpendicular direction.

There are traffic lanes painted on the street, but it seems drivers think they are guidelines for the middle of the vehicle rather than the edge of the vehicle. Cars, trucks, and buses dart in and out of lanes on a whim. Taxis and buses discharge passengers at random points, even on the highway. While there are crossing lanes, they are useless since traffic almost never comes to a complete stop. Crossing the street involves either running across oncoming traffic, or crossing one lane at a time while the other lanes clear.

Sidewalks are not a place for walking. If a street even has a sidewalk, it is usually occupied by shopkeepers and merchants attempting to sell some goods. Additionally the sidewalks are not consistent; one building may have a flat paved sidewalk, while the next may simply have a pile of sand, and the next building may have a sidewalk that is elevated several feet above the rest of the street. The only practical place to walk is on the street, just beside the parked cars.

The horn is used liberally, and can mean "I am pulling over" or "I need to get by" but most times it is used just for the sake of letting everyone else know you are coming down the street. Lights are never used at night unless they are flashed to indicate "you can pass." Rather than go to a car wash, bowabs wash their residents' cars on the side of the street.

While police officers can be found on every street corner in Cairo, there are no police cars that patrol the roads like in the United States. I've only seen one or two in my stay. There are ambulances, but they struggle to get past traffic, since there is usually no room to pull over to let the ambulance pass.

It's hard to get a feel for the traffic without mentioning specific occurrences. Among the entertaining traffic sights I've seen in my experience so far:

• A bus packed beyond capacity, such that two men were literally hanging onto the door of the bus, while driving on the highway.
• A minibus involved in a fender bender with a minivan, causing the bumper of the minivan to come off. The woman driving the minivan got out of her car and ran to the nearest police officer. The minibus drove away, while the police officer simply yelled "stop" a few times.
• A small collision on the highway, between a minibus and a car. The two drivers exited their vehicles and immediately ran at each other and broke out into fisticuffs, while traffic waited behind. I didn't see how it ended.
• Donkeys pulling fruit carts on busy streets is a regular occurrence.
• Pickup trucks with half a dozen to a dozen workers in the back is quite normal.
• Boys riding bicycles with a tray of teas and coffees in one hand.
• Boys riding bicycles on the street with one hand, either other hand balancing a board on their head. The board is about the size of a surfboard with about one hundred loaves of bread resting on top. I'm always amazed when I see this.
• Pickup trucks with cargo packed about three to four times the height of the vehicle.
  

Given the huge population density and the size of the streets of Cairo, it's understandable why the traffic situation is so crazy. It certainly keeps things interesting. Luckily I don't have to drive in the city, so I get to observe the situation from the passenger's perspective. One advantage through all of this is that one never has to wait to catch a bus or taxi, and they can bring you anywhere in the city relatively quickly.