Egypt court suspends ban of online taxi services Uber, Careem

CAIRO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court suspended on Saturday a ban on Uber and Careem ridesharing companies until their appeal is determined by a higher court.

On March 20, Cairo's administrative court ruled to ban the taxi services of the two companies and stop their online applications, but Saturday's order by a Cairo court of urgent matters suspended the former ruling and allows Uber and Careem to continue operation until their appeal is determined by the Higher Administrative Court.

The judicial issue started in response to a lawsuit filed in February 2017 by a group of Egyptian traditional taxi drivers who accused the two ridesharing services of violating the Egyptian traffic law by using privately-owned cars as taxis.

The two online-based taxi service companies have been providing services in Egypt for a few years during which traditional taxi drivers have repeatedly protested negative impact on their work.

Uber and Careem, two ridesharing giants operating regionally and internationally, have gained popularity in Egypt over the past few years, appealing to customers who complain about alleged cheating and misbehavior of traditional taxi drivers, such as refusing to use the meters or tampering with them.

The two companies have recently introduced ridesharing motorbikes and three-wheeled motorized rickshaws, known as "tuk-tuks," as new services in some areas in the most populous Arab country. Enditem