Egyptian PM issues strict measures on river transport

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab chaired a meeting on Sunday to review the river transport system and seek measures to control it.

Mahlab underlined that the law must be applied strictly on all ferries and barges and their licenses have to be revised.

He issued a set of decisions to restore order to the river transport system, including:

- Banning the navigation of barges in Greater Cairo from sunset to sunrise until September.
- Suspending new licenses for mobile Nile units and ports.
- Banning loudspeakers on cruise and passenger boats.
- Ensuring the enforcement of all safety laws on river units, including that passengers and workers put on safety jackets.
- Assigning the Water Resources Ministry with listing all river ports nationwide and ensure their safety within a week.
- Assigning the Transport Ministry with checking on all river ferries and banning any violating ones from navigation.
- Assigning the Transport Ministry and Arab Academy with setting a medium and long term plan to upgrade the river transport system.

The meeting was attended by the ministers of local development, environment, transport and interior, the director of the Armed Forces' transport department, assistant interior minister for water surfaces, chairman of the River Transport Authority, chairman of the Nile Company for River Transport and president of the Arab Academy for Science Technology & Maritime Transport.

The measures were taken in the aftermath of a boat tragedy when at least 40 persons were killed after a boat traveling down the Nile near Al Warraq collided with a barge, causing the boat to smash and capsize late Wednesday.