Echorouk talks to first metro users

High ticket prices and lack of security inside commuters: among raised concerns.Thousands of Algerians flocked in yesterday at different metro stations in Algiers the capital. Young, old and less old people were seen waiting for a commuter at stops. They all decided to try the new means of transportation in the mega city of Algiers, with every one having his view on it. Some said they were proud of it while others already noticed some malfunctioning comparing it to metro systems in European countries especially ticket prices. But most of them took a pic inside the tunnel. ‭ .‬Echorouk journey in the newly inaugurated metro started from its last stop in Hai Al Badr in Kouba. We took our place in the commuter with tens of families early in the morning. We met Hamid, a retired man who said Algeria celebrates two feasts today that of the Revolution Day (Nov 1st ) and the one for the new metro system. Hamid futher added ‘’I had the opportunity to use the metro in several European countries and believe me, ‘’ours’’ is exactly the same norm-wise’’ said Hamid. ‬ High tickers prices frustrate users. Economy-wise the DZD 50 ticket price is widely seen as being expensive compared to other means of transportation in Algiers (3 times the price of a bus ticket and some time more expensive that a taxi short distance journey) in tis regard, we took Karim’w view, a security guard in a private company who said ‘’They spent a huge package to achieve this project and now they want us to pay back in a very short period of time the cost of this metro’’ ‬. A lady we met during our metro journey said the opposite: for her ‘’50 DZD is acceptable. It is better than using the old, crowd and polluted buses in town plus, the comfort is there and it is clean’’ the lady added. Watch out: Getting out of the station costs you another 50 DZD Lack of security and safety, vending machines and telephone coverage. We also discussed with Said, a retired man who used to live in Europe, who sees the price solution in using the ticket for a period of time that will expire at a given time of use. For Said ’’They sell tickets that will expire after you leave the station and you are compelled to buy another if you want to use it again’’ The security and safety questions were also debated in the commuter with the users you complained about the fact of policemen missing inside the metro. ‘’ supposes someone is attacked by a criminal of a thief, who is going to intervene’’ said Mohamed, in the forties of his age. Absence of mobile phone coverage was also a malfunctioning raised by some users especially if take into consideration the absence of emergency telephone cabins at stops. Other people complained about the lack in small infrastructure such as vending machines for drinks for example. At the end, we could not leave the underground without noticing that the stops were narrow and so much close to the commuters that we felt some lack of safety especially for kids who might run out of control of their parents.