- Title: Jordan's taxis offer free rides in protest against hailing apps
- Date: 25th May 2017
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YELLOW TAXIS DRIVING IN CONVOY THROUGH AMMAN VARIOUS OF DRIVERS STANDING NEAR THEIR CARS VARIOUS OF TAXIS STANDING TOGETHER IN THE STREET TAXI SIGN READING (Arabic): "FOR HIRE" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF THE FURSAN TAXI ASSOCIATION, MUATH SAREESY, SAYING: "We want [the transport sector] to work in an organised manner, people want to organise this sector, they don't want Uber and Careem. This sector is marginalised, and unorganised since 2001. We are asking for organisation, we don't want to deprive our people of any new services. We are asking that officials block Uber and Careem until they obtain a public transport licence, and not operate with private cars. And that only Jordanians work with the public transport licence." TAXIS IN THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF THE FURSAN TAXI ASSOCIATION, MUATH SAREESY, SAYING: "Many people are spreading rumours that yellow taxi drivers are unorganised, and are not loyal [to the country]. What you see here today is disproving this." VARIOUS OF TAXIS DRIVING THROUGH THE STREETS OF AMMAN AMMAN, JORDAN (MAY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) OPERATIONS MANAGER OF CAREEM JORDAN, KAREEM ZINATY, SPEAKING TO JOURNALIST CAREEM BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OPERATIONS MANAGER OF CAREEM JORDAN, KAREEM ZINATY, SAYING: "There have been a lot of problems, voices have been getting louder. But we have numbers that show that Careem and similar companies have not affected traditional or yellow taxis. Careem has been serving a new sector of the population that was not served by yellow taxis. There were a lot of people who were waiting for their families, women who waited for their sons or husbands to come home before going out." MAP ON A CAREEM BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OPERATIONS MANAGER, CAREEM JORDAN, KAREEM ZINATY, SAYING: "I agree with some points [raised by the taxi drivers], and disagree with others. We are 100 percent certain that yellow taxi meters [with prices set by the government] are unfair. This forced [drivers] to resort to incorrect measures like asking for more money from customers, or not using the meter, or not going to certain areas where there is traffic. I think the meter - it is their right [to complain about it], this is unfair after all." AMMAN, JORDAN (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAREEM CAR DRIVING IN AMMAN CAREEM DRIVER, RAED QASEM, IN HIS CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CAREEM DRIVER, RAED QASEM, SAYING: "For me and for my colleagues, it [the loss of the app] would be very negative. We now depend on [Careem] as a main source of income. Some people have bought cars, gone into debt. Many support their households, you can't just scrap the app. You're talking about a lot of cars stopping and a lot of homes suffering. It'll be very difficult." VARIOUS OF QASEM DRIVING HIS CAR
- Embargoed: 8th June 2017 14:02
- Keywords: Uber unemployment Jordan hailing apps protest Taxi
- Location: AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016IC5PHX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The drivers of Amman's official yellow taxis drove through the streets of the Jordanian capital in convoy on Thursday (May 25) and offered a day of free rides in protest against what they consider unfair competition from hailing apps such as Uber and Careem.
Jordanian taxi drivers say their business has declined sharply since Uber and Careem, based in California and Dubai respectively, started offering rides to passengers in Jordan in 2015. They want the authorities to properly enforce laws requiring drivers carrying paying passengers to be licensed.
"We are asking that officials block Uber and Careem until they obtain a public transport licence, and not operate with private cars. And that only Jordanians work with the public transport licence," said Muath Sareesy, a member of the Fursan taxi association.
Many Uber and Careem drivers have been detained and fined, and some have had their cars impounded, but the taxi drivers say that enforcement is half-hearted at best.
Kareem Zinaty, operations manager for Careem in Amman, insists that ride-sharing apps are not directly affecting traditional taxi drivers.
"We have numbers that show that Careem and similar companies have not affected traditional or yellow taxis. Careem has been serving a new slice of the population that was not served by yellow taxis. There were a lot of people who were waiting for their families, women who waited for their sons or husbands to come home before going out," he said.
Zinaty says much of the drivers' frustration stems from the prices that the government sets for their meters. A yellow taxi that is stationary or waiting charges around 1.25 Jordanian dinar per hour, while Careem drivers charge around 6, he said.
"We are 100 percent certain that yellow taxi meters are unfair. This forced [drivers] to resort to incorrect measures like asking for more money from customers, or not using the meter, or not going to certain areas where there is traffic," he said.
Twenty-four-year-old Raed Qasem said he had begun driving for Careem when he struggled to find work after graduating.
He now depends entirely on the app for his livelihood, and is fearful about it disappearing.
"For me and for my colleagues, it would be very negative. We now depend on [Careem] as a main source of income. Some people have bought cars, gone into debt. Many support their households, you can't just scrap the app. You're talking about a lot of cars stopping and a lot of homes suffering. It will be very difficult," he said.
Careem says it currently provides a source of income for over 3,000 drivers, many of whom are students, recent graduates or women. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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