Egypt considers regulating car-sharing services

CAIRO: The Egyptian government has presented to parliament a draft bill that would regulate car-sharing services, Al Ahram reported on Thursday, two days after a court ordered suspension of Uber and Careem in the country.

On Tuesday, Egypt’s Administrative Court ordered the licences of Uber and Careem to be revoked in response to a lawsuit filed by Egyptian taxi drivers who argued the companies violate the traffic law.

The drivers also said the introduction of the two services in the Egyptian market has affected their livelihood.

Both companies have appealed the ruling, according to Al Ahram.

No specific date has been set for the parliamentary debate on the draft, details of which have not been disclosed.

The bill is reportedly aimed at setting clear rules for the operation of the ride-hailing service without harming local taxi drivers.

The legislature is on a short recess pending next week’s presidential elections in Egypt.

Careem and Uber were launched in 2014 in Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country.

The two firms have become very popular in the country for quality and safety reasons.

Passengers used to complain about the poor service of local taxis.

Both operators invest around $30 million in Egypt and employ some 350,000 Egyptians, according to private newspaper Al Watan. — dpa