Data Lab

Cairo & Beyond

We've been directly responsible for mapping over 10 African mega-cities public transport networks. Additionally we provided technical assistance to partners in East Asia using our tools to accomplish the same.

Open Data, Open Software

Our Data Lab utilizes Free and Open source Software tools (FOSS) such as QGIS and OpenTripPlanner, as well as open data sources, to create the knowledge products and do the work we do. We make sure we give back to the community by openining the datasets we collect ourselves, and the software tools we develop.

Context Aware

Our team experiences the city firsthand as daily public transport users who know the local context and language. This lived experience shapes how we design data systems, conduct analyses, and deliver technical work that truly reflects the realities on the ground.

GeoPortal 🚦

We host our own open data portal with the latest data we acquire for the benefit of researchers, students and the community.

Are you looking for data-sets on Mobility in Africa? →

Our Data Geeks 🤖

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Abdelrahman Melegy
Head of Data Lab
Leads TfC’s “Data Lab” team. He's responsible for all data processes within the organization. Wtih over a decade of experience in Information Systems, Melegy specializes in designing processes for data collection and analysis in projects where data is usually scarce. He's an avid free and open-source software and open data promoter.
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Moataz Mahrous
Lead Researcher
Urban planner and GIS specialist with over a decade of experience driving major mobility and urban development initiatives across Africa and the Middle East. He works at the intersection of planning, mapping, and capacity building bringing technical expertise and strategic vision to complex urban challenges. With a proven record of collaboration with global institutions, government agencies, and leading consultancies, he has the technical skills and understanding of different contexts, especially within the domain of popular transport, to design and implement effective solutions for our clients.
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Hazem Fahmi
Senior Research Software Engineer
Research Software Engineer with expertise in spatio-temporal, data-driven urban mobility research. He is skilled in developing complex data collection systems, data analysis pipelines, and dashboards that support evidence-based decision-making. With a strong software engineering background, he bridges the gap between rigorous research and real-world applications by delivering efficient, maintainable code and reproducible research outcomes.
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Sarah Salem
Research Associate - Urban Analytics
With a background in Architectural Engineering, Sarah's skills range from urban research, to GIS analysis, to the development of software tools and data scripts using old-school programming and AI. As the newest addition to the Lab, Sarah has managed to build user friendly software tools to simplify TfC's complex data workflows in less than a year.

Projects Completed by the DataLab

Reports & Technical Documentation