President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on Wednesday defended fare hikes on the Cairo metro, which sparked a rare display of public discontent last week, saying the move was necessary for the loss-making transportation network. “Do I today have the luxury of delaying reforms such as with the metro? No. Alright, won’t people suffer? Of course ... But do you not want the country to do well and become of importance?” Al Sisi said at a conference. The government said the higher fares, which came into effect Friday and saw the cost of some metro tickets triple, are needed to keep the metro running and to finance new extensions. More than 3mn people use the system every day. “Was this a surprise? No ... This is a four-year-old plan across all sectors, electricity, water and sewage. There is no other choice,” Al Sisi said.