The Ismail Cabinet has apparently given preliminary approval to doubling the cost of a Cairo Metro ticket, with fares likely to riseto EGP 2 from EGP 1, Al Masry Al Youm reports, citing an unnamed government official. Cabinet tasked Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat with the daunting task of selling the idea to House of Representatives’ Transportation Committee yesterday, which went down as expected. The grandstanding branch of government declared its refusal to accept the price increases, with some committee members whining that Cabinet planned to move ahead and implement the measure without MPs’ consent, Al Mal reports. Others urged Arafat to allow them time to form a panel to study the effects of a hike on citizens, according to Al Borsa.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail had to wade into the fray, saying that the government was studying a number of ways of helping Cairo Metro’s grow its revenues. In statements to the press on yesterday, Ismail made the case for why the Metro’s finances needed to be overhauled.

Don’t hold your breath: A quick skim through our files shows debates about raising Cairo Metro ticket prices in October 2016, August 2016, June 2016, March 2016, February 2016, November 2015, July 2015…