Transport Minister Galal Saeed is working on a proposal to replace the Heliopolis tram with a new route for buses, an unnamed ministry official told Al Borsa on Tuesday. Saeed is reportedly holding talks with the French Development Agency (FDA) for financing. The minister had previously replaced the tram line in Al Matariya with a bus route during his tenure as governor of Cairo. In April, Egypt signed an agreement with the FDA for a EUR 80 mn loan to fund the rehabilitation of the Ramses-Heliopolis tram line. According to an MoU signed between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Cooperation Ministry in May, the tram line is also receiving funding as part of a USD 250 mn development package. Saeed’s proposal, however, has faced backlash from Heliopolis citizens on the grounds that the tram is part of the cultural heritage of the neighborhood.