Cairo’s main metro station, Sadat, has come back into operation Wednesday after almost two years, in a move expected to relieve pressure on millions of strap-hangers inconvenienced by the closure.
Security was beefed up at the station as Transport Minister Hani Dahi paid a visit to ensure a smooth operation. Metal detectors and x-ray machines have been installed and sniffer dogs can be seen as part of enhanced security measures.
“We promised we would reopen the station before Ramadan and we have fulfilled the promise,” Dahi said during his tour, in reference to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan that begins on Thursday.
He said the move was to “alleviate pressure on Egyptians” during the fasting month.
Lying under the iconic Tahrir Square, Sadat metro station has been shut by the police since August 2013 for “security reasons,” on the back of nationwide unrest after the violent dispersal of two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo.
The long-awaited reopening of Sadat, a major stop for switching between metro lines, is expected to ease congestion at other downtown stations and relieve many passengers who were forced to extend their daily commute after the closure.
Over 3.5 million of Greater Cairo’s 21 million inhabitants rely on the subway for their daily travel, according to official estimates by the country’s national tunnels authority.
Source: Ahram Online
