Hossam El-Shaer: Coordinating with parliament to apply the traffic law and allow used vehicles up to 4 years old
Nader Ayyad: The current fleet does not meet the successive growth... and the buses will undergo a comprehensive inspection before licensing
Reem Fawzy: Investors are keen on vehicle quality to protect their money and their tourism reputation
The Chamber of Tourism Companies has received the decision of Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat approving the chamber's request to allow the import of used buses, provided they are no more than one year old, excluding the year of manufacture, in activation of Article 7 of Minister of Trade and Industry Decree No. 77 of 2005, the regulations implementing the provisions of the Import Law.
In this context, Hossam El-Shaer, chairman of the Chamber of Tourism Companies, stressed that activating the decision, which had been frozen for years without legal or logical reasons, is a step in the right direction for developing Egypt's tourist transport fleet, which has been on the list of priorities of the chamber's board since it began its current term, as the transport fleet no longer meets tourism growth in Egypt and poses a threat to Egypt's tourism reputation because of its severe deterioration.
He noted that the chamber's move sought to achieve two main goals: first, activating the Minister of Industry's decision to allow the import of tourist buses one year after manufacture, and second, applying the traffic law, which allows the import of used vehicles provided no more than 4 years have passed since the year of manufacture.
El-Shaer explained that the chamber moved on all fronts to achieve these two goals, and there was a great response from the Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives, headed by MP Amr Sedky, in coordination and communication with Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat. The committee held several meetings to which it summoned officials from several ministries and bodies, including industry, tourism, finance, customs and taxes, until the decision was activated, he said, pointing out that there is great effort, cooperation and coordination with parliament's Tourism Committee to activate the part concerning the traffic law and apply it to tourism as soon as possible.
For his part, Nader Ayyad, head of the chamber's Tourist Transport Committee, said the Ministry of Tourism requested guarantees of the tourist transport sector's continued excellence and of the decision's positive impact, stressing that imported buses will undergo a comprehensive inspection by experts from the ministries of interior and tourism, and in the various departments, before licensing, to ensure the quality of the imported buses.
Ayyad revealed that tourist transport companies are demanding that the period be extended to allow the import of used buses up to 4 years after manufacture rather than one year, adding that there is no legal or technical obstacle to meeting this demand.
Reem Fawzy, deputy head of the Tourist Transport Committee, stressed that there is no room for any fear of the new decision, as tourism investors are the most keen to import buses in excellent condition, to protect their money, their tourism reputation and their distinction in working in an open market with high competition, affirming that the tourism sector welcomes the review and inspection of buses at the ministries of interior and tourism to ensure their quality and raise the efficiency of tourist transport in Egypt.
