Taxis in Cairo, Egypt

[Niko]

New cabs Pricey but a godsend

The experience of riding a taxi in the many countries around the world should be an excursion in itself. From the plastic driver cages in Australia, to the 5-star cabs with automatic doors in Japan, every country seems to have their own flavour.

Howabout taxis in Egypt?

Riding in a Cairo taxi is like being trapped in a pinball machine. These rickety, non-air conditioned crates, their seats caked with grime, careen around corners and charge through red lights. Fare meters are frozen in time at 60 piasters - about US10 cents. A sudden stop can make a loosely hinged door fly open.

But change is in the smoggy air. Among the city's many thousands of vintage taxis, 150 yellow cabs have begun operating, equipped with air-conditioning, credit-card swipers, seat belts and catlyitic converters to filter their exhaust.

So if you're heading to Egypt to teach or travel, then let's hope you can get a ride on one of these new taxis.