Transportation

Traffic Laws:  Although the enforcement of traffic laws generally is lax, foreigners are subject to extra scrutiny and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs could result in arrest or detainment.

Road Conditions and Safety Driving in Egypt is extremely hazardous. Egypt has one of the highest occurrences of road fatalities per mile driven in the world. Intercity roads are generally in good condition, but unmarked surfaces, stray animals, sandstorms and fog, and disabled vehicles without lights or reflectors are among the many hazards present on highways, especially after dark.

Driving Cairo’s busy maze of streets can be an extreme challenge to foreigners, especially those used to a culture of structured rules and regulations. Even residents of Cairo must use extreme care and situational awareness to navigate the capital’s hectic streets. Impatient drivers typically ignore traffic rules, which police seldom enforce. Most traffic lights in Cairo do not function; instead, police officers, using finger and hand movements to direct traffic, normally staff the main intersections.

Vehicle accidents remain a significant safety concern.

Visitors thinking about driving in Cairo should carefully consider other options, such as a taxi or hired driver. If visitors decide to drive, it is essential that they take the utmost precautions and drive defensively. Drivers should be prepared for: unlit vehicles at night; few if any road markings; vehicles traveling at high rates of speed; vehicles traveling the wrong way on one-way streets, divided highways, and connecting ramps; pedestrians dodging in and out of traffic; and a variety of domesticated animals wandering the roadways. Motorists should be especially cautious during the rare winter rains, which can cause extremely slippery road surfaces and localized flooding; Egyptian drivers are not familiar with driving in wet conditions, making such periods particularly hazardous.

Pedestrians should also exercise extreme caution especially in high-volume/high-velocity streets like Cairo’s Corniche, which follows the eastern bank of the Nile River.

Public Transportation:  Public buses and microbuses are not safe, and U.S. Embassy personnel are prohibited from using them. Embassy personnel are also prohibited from traveling on Cairo’s metro system. Trains are a particularly unsafe means of transportation, with regular accidents that sometimes involve mass casualties and Embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling by train.

Embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling outside the greater Cairo area by motor vehicle with a few exceptions and are generally required to travel between cities via commercial air. Furthermore, U.S. Embassy policy prohibits personal travel via privately-owned vehicle to any part of the Sinai Peninsula or  the Western Desert.

Carjackings are reported with some frequency. While generally occurring during late night or early morning hours, carjackings can also occur in the middle of the day. Carjackings have been reported by Egyptians, foreign private sector personnel, and the diplomatic community. In most cases, perpetrators target newer sport utility vehicles, sometimes with the intent to extract a ransom from the owner. Other instances suggest that perpetrators target transport vehicles in order to steal cargo. Recent incidents suggest that the best response to ensure one’s personal safety is to surrender the vehicle immediately. Reports have not indicated that any violence or harm has come to those victims who posed no resistance. 

Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the government of Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Egypt’s air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page.