Cairo — Mubasher: Ride-hailing app Careem on Tuesday announced the launch of its new service ‘Careem Bus’ in Cairo as the first city of operations.
The mid-priced bus service is aimed at commuters and the launch is in line with Careem’s commitment to solving transportation issues, improving mobility and creating jobs, the Dubai-based firm said in a statement on Tuesday.
Careem, Uber’s main ride-hailing app rival in the Middle East, is seeking to launch Careem Bus in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan next year after completing the pilot operation of the service in Egypt, director of Careem Bus Hadeer Shalaby told Mubasher in an interview on Monday.
Careem Bus is a separate app from the ride-hailing product and is available for download on iOS and Android, Careem added.
The regional ride-hailing company noted that commuters are able to select the pick up and drop off location after which they will have the option of picking the bus that best suits their time.
Customers could also track the bus as it arrives, the same as when ordering a Careem car, and fares will be fixed at a set rate which is 60-70% cheaper than the Careem car service, according to the statement.
Careem said that the fleet of busses are equipped with air conditions and trips are booked through an app ensuring that every user is guaranteed a seat.
“Customers [could] now expect the same high-tech experience across all products and services they engage with,” Shalaby said.
Answering why shouldn’t taking a bus be as seamless as ride hailing a car?, she said that a study conducted by Careem found that around 40% of the Egyptian population do not have a transportation service suiting their needs and the situation was getting worse.
“Careem Bus will revolutionise mass transportation allowing customers to enjoy the benefits of our tech as well as reducing traffic in cities as mass shared-mobility could lead to an 80% reduction in the number of vehicles and CO2 emissions by 2050,” Shalaby added.
Commenting on the bus transportation service, Careem’s CEO and co-founder Mudassir Sheikha said of Careem Bus is to improve transport options and mobility for millions of people, along with slashing congestion and pollution in the Egyptian capital.
“Cairo is just the start. Careem’s move into mass transportation will have a huge and positive impact across the region,” he added.
Careem highlighted that the bus service will initially start out with 13-seater air-conditioned buses, with bus stops to be marked at city landmarks.
