Egypt court orders Uber and Careem to cease operations

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egypt’s administrative court issued a ruling on Tuesday stopping the operations of ride sharing apps Uber and Careem, state media reported.

Both services had sparked protests by taxi drivers who complained that their drivers were not required to pay the hefty fees to operate transportation vehicles.

The court accepted a petition by a lawyer demanding the government stop licensing Uber and Careem activities in Egypt, including their online applications, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported on its website.

The lawyer representing taxi drivers, Khaled al-Gamal, told AFP that the ruling would have to be implemented by the government even if Careem and Uber appeal.

“They have to stop operations and block their mobile applications on the internet,” he told AFP.

But Careem said on Twitter that it “affirms the continuation of operations normally and it (Careem) has not been officially notified of ceasing its operations”.

Uber’s representatives could not be reached immediately for comment.

Many Egyptians who complain about taxi services, including drivers who refuse to turn on their meters or their air conditioning during the summer heat, had switched to the ride sharing apps.

Careem, a start-up headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, operates in the Middle East and Asia.