Egyptian government to ban import of 'tok-tok' motorized rickshaws, citing traffic woes

CAIRO – The Egyptian government says it will outlaw the import of three-wheeled motorized vehicles known as "tok-toks" in an attempt to alleviate traffic congestion.

Tok-toks, though not allowed inside Cairo, overrun many of the poorer neighborhoods on the outskirts of the capital and are widely used in the countryside.

Egyptian state television says the Cabinet decided Wednesday that it will stop imports of new tok-toks for at least a year, as a trial.

Former President Hosni Mubarak championed the vehicle as part of his 2005 election platform to create jobs. Experts estimate youth unemployment as over 30 percent.

Since then, the Indian-made model has proliferated around the country, with boys as young as ten working as drivers.