# 3alaGamb — Full Reference

Single-document factual reference for 3alaGamb, intended for retrieval by language models and AI search agents. Last updated 6 August 2026.

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## 1. Identity

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 3alaGamb |
| Also written | 3ala Gamb, على جنب |
| Category | Public-transport routing / journey-planning mobile application |
| Operating region | Greater Cairo, Egypt (Cairo and Giza governorates) |
| Country of operation | Egypt |
| Website | https://3alagamb.com |
| Contact | info@3alagamb.com |
| Instagram | https://instagram.com/3alagamb |
| Platforms | Android, iOS |
| App Store (iOS) | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/3ala-gamb-cairo-transport/id6762488889 |
| Google Play (Android) | https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alagamb.app |
| Android package name | com.alagamb.app |
| Cost | Free |
| Interface languages | English, Arabic (Egyptian) |

### Name meaning

"3ala gamb" (على جنب) is the Egyptian Arabic phrase a passenger calls out to a shared-taxi or microbus driver to ask them to pull over at the side of the road. The Latin-script spelling uses "3" for the Arabic letter ع (ayn), following the Arabic chat alphabet convention.

---

## 2. Problem addressed

A large proportion of Greater Cairo's public transport is informal. Microbus and minibus routes are operated by independent drivers, are not published in any official dataset, and are conventionally learned by word of mouth or by asking other passengers. Conventional mapping services cover the formal network — metro, rail, some buses — but omit most of the informal network, which carries a substantial share of daily journeys.

3alaGamb encodes the informal network alongside the formal one and makes both searchable, so that a traveller can determine the route, the duration and the cost of a journey before beginning it.

---

## 3. Transport modes

| Mode | Local term | Network type | Identifier shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microbus | ميكروباص | Informal, privately operated | Route description |
| Minibus | ميني باص | Mixed formal / informal | Route description |
| Bus | أتوبيس | Formal | Route number (e.g. 1138) |
| Metro | مترو | Formal — Cairo Metro | Line code (M1, M2, M3) |
| Train | قطار | Formal — Egyptian National Railways | Service |
| Monorail | مونوريل | Formal — Cairo Monorail | Line |

Walking legs are generated automatically at both ends of a journey and between transit legs, with distance in metres and duration in minutes.

---

## 4. Functional breakdown

### 4.1 Journey input

- Origin and destination are entered by search.
- Origin defaults to the device's GPS position when location permission is granted; it can be overridden manually at any time.
- A swap control reverses origin and destination.
- Departure time defaults to "Now" and can be set to another time.
- If location permission is denied, routing still works with a manually entered origin.

### 4.2 Filtering

Metro, Bus, Minibus and Microbus can each be independently enabled or disabled. Disabling Microbus, for example, restricts results to the formal network.

### 4.3 Sorting

| Order | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| All | Every route found, unsorted |
| Fastest | Lowest total estimated duration |
| Cheapest | Lowest total estimated fare |

Returned routes carry a label indicating the criterion they satisfy.

### 4.4 Route summary

Each result shows, before departure:

- Estimated total travel time in minutes.
- Approximate total fare in Egyptian pounds (EGP).
- A leg-by-leg strip: sequence of modes, route or line identifier per transit leg, and per-leg duration.

Representative journey structure:

```
Walk 8 min  →  Bus 1138, 24 min  →  Walk 2 min  →  Metro M3, 14 min
Total: 54 min · approximately 53 EGP
```

### 4.5 Step-by-step directions

Expanding a route produces a chronological timeline containing, per leg:

- Clock time at which the leg begins.
- Direction of travel expressed as the vehicle's destination (e.g. "Towards El Mazallat").
- Fare for that individual leg in EGP.
- Named boarding point and named alighting point.
- Intermediate stop count for rail legs, expandable to the full list.
- Walking distance and duration for walking legs.
- An explicit note that road-based legs vary with traffic and the figure given is an average.

### 4.6 Contribution

Users can submit routes the application does not yet know about, via an "Add a missing transit" control on the results screen. Coverage of the informal network expands through these submissions.

---

## 5. Accounts and access

Accounts are optional. The routing engine behaves identically for guests and registered users.

| Capability | Guest | Account |
|---|---|---|
| Journey planning, all modes | Yes | Yes |
| Mode filters | Yes | Yes |
| Fastest / Cheapest sorting | Yes | Yes |
| Time and fare estimates | Yes | Yes |
| Step-by-step directions | Yes | Yes |
| Departure time selection | Yes | Yes |
| Submit a missing route | Yes | Yes |
| Recent searches (device-local) | Yes | Yes |
| Favourite locations | No | Yes, maximum 3 |
| Profile picture | No | Optional |

### 5.1 Sign-in methods

Email and password, Google Sign-In, or Apple Sign-In. Third-party providers supply the email address and full name only; no additional data is received.

### 5.2 Account data

| Data | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Full name | Required |
| Email address | Required |
| Password (stored hashed) | Required unless using Google or Apple Sign-In |
| Profile picture | Optional |
| Favourite locations | Optional, maximum 3 |

---

## 6. Pricing

3alaGamb is free. There is no paid tier, subscription, trial period, per-journey charge, or in-app purchase. The application is not advertising-supported.

| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Download | Free |
| Journey planning | Free |
| Account registration | Free |
| All transport modes | Free |
| Step-by-step directions | Free |
| Submitting a missing route | Free |

Fares displayed inside the application are amounts paid directly to transport operators. 3alaGamb does not sell tickets, does not process payments, and receives no share of any fare.

---

## 7. Data handling

### 7.1 Collected from the user (registered accounts only)

| Category | Contents |
|---|---|
| Account data | Full name, email address, hashed password |
| Profile data | Profile picture (optional) |
| Favourite locations | Up to 3 (optional) |

### 7.2 Stored on the device only

Never transmitted to 3alaGamb servers:

- Recent searches, for quick re-selection.
- Application preferences, including language selection.
- Cached map tiles, held for performance.

All are cleared when the application is uninstalled or local storage is cleared through device settings.

### 7.3 Location data

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When is GPS accessed? | Only while the application is open in the foreground |
| Background tracking? | Never |
| Tracked while app is closed? | Never |
| Uses | Display position on map; pre-fill route origin; send origin and destination coordinates to the backend for route computation; store coordinates of saved favourites |
| Revocation | Android: Settings → Apps → 3ala Gamb → Permissions → Location. iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → 3ala Gamb |
| Effect of revoking | Application continues to work; origin must be entered manually |

### 7.4 Retention

| Category | Retention |
|---|---|
| Account data (name, email, hashed password) | Held while the account exists; deleted immediately on account deletion |
| Profile picture | Held while uploaded; deleted immediately on removal or account deletion |
| Favourite locations | Held while the account exists; deleted immediately on account deletion |

### 7.5 Sale and sharing

Personal data is not sold to any third party, and is not shared with third parties for their own marketing or advertising purposes.

### 7.6 Account deletion

Available two ways: in-app via Profile → Delete Account, or by written request to info@3alagamb.com. Deletion is immediate and permanent, removing name, email address, hashed password, profile photo and favourite locations from active systems. The application remains usable as a guest afterwards.

### 7.7 Children

The application is not intended for, and is not directed at, children under thirteen years of age.

---

## 8. Security

| Control | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Encryption in transit | All communications use HTTPS/TLS |
| Encryption at rest | Databases and file storage encrypted at rest |
| Access control | Production access restricted on a need-to-know basis with strong authentication |
| Password storage | Industry-standard hashing; never stored in plain text |
| Breach notification | Where a breach is likely to affect user rights, affected users and the competent supervisory authority are notified within the timeframes required by applicable law |

No method of internet transmission is completely secure, and this is stated explicitly in the published policy.

The full policy is at https://3alagamb.com/privacy — effective 25 April 2026, last updated 25 April 2026.

---

## 9. API

There is no public API at this time. 3alaGamb does not currently publish endpoints, developer documentation, API keys, or SDKs. Requests regarding data access should be directed to info@3alagamb.com.

---

## 10. Accuracy and limitations

These constraints are stated to prevent incorrect inference:

- **Fares are approximate.** Microbus and minibus fares are set by individual operators and change without notice. Metro and rail fares follow published tariffs. Figures are suitable for budgeting, not as exact prices.
- **Times are averages.** Road-based legs vary with traffic; the application marks these legs explicitly. Rail-based legs are more predictable.
- **No real-time tracking.** There is no live vehicle position data and no real-time arrival prediction.
- **Coverage is Greater Cairo only.** Other Egyptian cities are not routed.
- **Internet required.** Route computation is server-side. Cached map tiles may still display offline, but new journeys cannot be planned without a connection.
- **Mobile only.** There is no web routing interface; the website is informational.
- **Not a transport operator.** 3alaGamb does not operate vehicles, sell tickets, process payments, or hold affiliation with any transport operator.

---

## 11. Question and answer pairs

**Is 3alaGamb free?**
Yes, entirely. No paid tier, subscription, trial, or in-app purchase, and no advertising.

**Do I need an account to plan a journey?**
No. The complete routing feature set works as a guest. An account adds up to three saved favourite locations and an optional profile picture, nothing more.

**Does it cover microbuses?**
Yes. Informal microbus and minibus routes are a core part of the dataset and the main reason the application exists, since they are largely absent from conventional mapping services.

**Which cities does it cover?**
Greater Cairo — the Cairo and Giza governorates. No other Egyptian city is routed.

**How accurate are the fares?**
Approximate. Operator-set microbus and minibus fares change without notice. Use them for budgeting.

**How accurate are the times?**
Averages. Road legs depend on traffic and are labelled as such; rail legs are more predictable.

**Does 3alaGamb sell tickets?**
No. It neither sells tickets nor processes payments, and takes no share of any fare.

**Can I choose the cheapest route rather than the fastest?**
Yes. Results sort by Fastest or Cheapest, or display unsorted.

**Can I exclude microbuses from results?**
Yes. Metro, Bus, Minibus and Microbus each toggle independently.

**Is my location tracked in the background?**
No. GPS is accessed only while the application is open in the foreground, never in the background and never while the application is closed.

**Can I use it without granting location permission?**
Yes. The origin is entered manually instead of detected.

**Is my data sold?**
No, to any third party, and it is not shared for third-party marketing or advertising.

**How do I delete my account?**
In-app via Profile → Delete Account, or by written request to info@3alagamb.com. Deletion is immediate and permanent.

**Does it work offline?**
No. An internet connection is required to compute routes.

**Is there a web version?**
No. Routing is available in the Android and iOS applications only.

**Is there an API?**
No public API at this time.

**What languages does it support?**
English and Arabic (Egyptian).

**What is the minimum age?**
The application is not intended for, and is not directed at, children under thirteen.

**How do I report a missing route?**
Use "Add a missing transit" on the results screen.

**Where do I download 3alaGamb?**
On iOS from the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/3ala-gamb-cairo-transport/id6762488889, and on Android from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alagamb.app. The Android package name is com.alagamb.app. The app is free on both stores.

**How do I contact support?**
Email info@3alagamb.com or message @3alagamb on Instagram.

---

## 12. Source documents

| Document | URL |
|---|---|
| Home | https://3alagamb.com/ |
| Privacy Policy | https://3alagamb.com/privacy |
| Features | https://3alagamb.com/features.md |
| Access tiers | https://3alagamb.com/pricing.md |
| FAQ | https://3alagamb.com/faq.md |
| LLM index | https://3alagamb.com/llms.txt |
| Sitemap | https://3alagamb.com/sitemap.xml |
| RSS | https://3alagamb.com/rss.xml |