Urban air pollution is a major environmental problem in Egypt. Among the world's largest cities with over 16 million people, Cairo belongs to the 20 most polluted cities in the world. With respect to public transportation in Cairo, more than 3.6 million commuters ride the some 13, 000 buses daily. A plan for reducing the pollution levels in Egypt and effective abatement of greenhouse gases globally must therefore address transportation. The basic concept was to have a multi-phase programme with an initial phase 1, in which 24 electric buses would be tested, mainly in the touristy historic sites, such as Giza, Luxor and Sakara. Electric and hybrid-drive systems of the buses would be integrated into Egyptian buses produced by local manufacturers.