Fares should be agreed in advance. Visitor's own insurance and an International Driving Permit are required to drive any motor vehicle. Carnet de Passage or a suitable deposit is necessary for the temporary import of visitor's own vehicle. There is a central area flat fare. In addition, there are other buses and fixed-route shared taxi and minibus services run by private operators.
Vehicles normally wait at city terminals to obtain a full load, but there are frequent departures.
Fares are three to four times higher than on the buses. Cairo's suburban railways have been upgraded to provide a rapid transit network, including Africa's first underground railway. Columbus Press Ltd 1999.