Uber is set to launch a bus service in Egypt, the most populous Arab country with over 90 million inhabitants and notoriously heavy traffic.
According to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief, the national bus service will look beyond Cairo to include other major governorates. Uber currently operates in the capital, which the second most populous African city at over 21 million people, as well as Alexandria and Mansoura. Cairo is one of Uber’s fastest growing markets with more than 30,000 drivers in 2016.Uber rolled out its services in Kenya two years ago. It has since met competition from similar apps such as Little Cab, Taxify, and Mondo ride.
Early 2016, Mombasa taxi operators claimed that Uber’s launch would impact negatively on their business. Consumers however have welcomed the service which has reduced significantly fare charged. The taxi operators concern is that Uber will eat into their profits as metered taxis operate on a fixed cost per kilometre, while Uber offers flexible rates. Globally, the introduction of Uber has sparked outrage from local taxi and transport services. In Jakarta, thousands of Indonesian taxi drivers staged a violent protest in March 2016 against Uber and other ride-hailing apps, blocking major roads in the capital, clashing with rivals from app-based services and setting tyres alight.