#WhereIsTheBomb warns Egyptians of violence-related traffic

Egypt’s long-suffering drivers, worn down by decades of jams and crashes, are turning to social media to stave off a new, even more pressing threat—chaotic traffic caused by roadside bombs. The makers of mobile travel app “Bey2ollak”, meaning, “It’s being said”, have started sending their users and online followers warnings on hold-ups using the hashtag #WhereIsTheBomb. The label has become so popular that it “trended” as one of the most used phrases by Egyptian Twitter users this week.

We really wish we didn’t need to incorporate such a feature.

Gamal ElDin Sadek, the app’s co-creator, told Reuters

Egypt has been battling an Islamist militant insurgency that has killed hundreds of police and soldiers since then army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in July 2013 after mass protests. Most of the worst attacks have hit the Sinai Peninsula, but smaller-scale blasts and attacks have become increasingly common in cities.

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