Is smarter urban planning the only way to save us from “el soyass”? Street chaos is what gave rise to the dreaded informal parking attendants we fondly refer to as “soyass,” said sociology professor Samia Khedr in a recent interview with Al Ahram Weekly. Better urban planning should, therefore, lie at the heart of any attempt by the government if it wishes to ameliorate, let alone solve, the “sayess” phenomenon.

Chaos thrives in the absence of order: A comprehensive solution should prevent things like unlawful claims to vacant land used by soyass as street garages and granting building licenses in residential neighborhoods for developers who fail to accommodate for parking. We should not strive to get rid of the soyass, but create an environment that eliminates the need for any, she added.

What is currently being done about the problem? The House of Representatives’ Local Administration Committee passed in April a draft law to regulate the “sayess” that would require them to obtain a license scouting as much as EGP 1,000 and would entitle them to charge customers a set, regulated parking rate per hour. Attendants would be required to be literate, above the age of 21, and hold a valid driver’s license, among other stipulations, to be granted a license.

New to Egypt or have never driven here before? OpenDemocracy has put together an interesting primer on these harpies of the streets.