Minister for Transportation Hany Dahi, denied Saturday that the price of a metro ticket is set to increase, state media reported.

He added that all reports about a possible price hike are just “rumours that target the country’s stability”.

Dahi added that media outlets misinterpreted the recent discussions by ministry officials to calculate the costs of constructing a new metro line. He added that only the cabinet can take the decision to raise ticket’s price.

The minister’s statements on Saturday followed the ministry’s signing of a contract with the armed forces to guarantee the latter’s right to administer and run the naval station at Alexandria port.

In an interview with privately owned channel Al-Nahar, Ismail Al-Nagdy, head of the National Authority of Tunnels also denied that the ministry is planning to raise the prices of the tickets. He added that the unsubsidised price of the ticket is EGP 25, “which the citizen already pays in the form taxes”.

Since last December, transportation officials have been giving conflicting reports about a possible raise in the metro tickets.

The new metro phase is planned to link the neighbourhood of Heliopolis, Ain Shams, and Imbaba with Central Cairo and Cairo International Airport.

The possible raise in the EGP 1 ticket has sparked a wave of condemnation by political groups and activists, who accused the governments of inefficiently running public sector projects and following unfair economic policies.