Egyptian taxi drivers protest 'unfair competition' from Uber
Taxi drivers in Egypt say ride-sharing services Uber and Careem do not have to meet the same regulations taxis do and do not pay their fair share of taxes.
In the middle of Mostafa Mahmoud Square, one of Giza’s busiest, Afifi, a 27-year-old taxi driver, was shouting his lungs out: “Stop! Come join us, we are defending your rights.”
On Feb. 4, Afifi, who asked that his last name not be used, was one of the few taxi drivers who responded to an anonymous call circulated on Facebook to protest the existence of “unfair competitors.”
As he tried to stop taxis passing through the square and persuade drivers to join him in protest, he talked to Al-Monitor about his complaint. He said, “Taxis are losing business to companies such as Uber and Careem that operate illegally in Egypt.”
Both Uber and Careem do not own any cars, nor hire any drivers. They are considered “transportation network companies” (TNCs), a term coined by the California Public Utilities Commission to define the business model in which companies use mobile applications to connect customers who need a ride with drivers willing to offer the service.
