The Internet Responds to Taxi Drivers Protesting Uber and Careem

Earlier this month, several taxi drivers took to the streets to protest against Uber and Careem, saying that the companies have no right to use private cars for taxi services. Not only that, but they filed complaints with the District Attorney. In response, Uber and Careem customers took to the web to protest the taxi drivers protesting Uber and Careem (a bit confusing, right?).

A small sample of the many responses to the taxi protest include a few articles in Arabic by Masrawy here and here; a post in solidarity with Uber and Careem by January 25th key figure Wael Ghoneim here; a funny meme here; a picture post by Ahmed el Sheshtawy here, and one by travel blogger Ahmed Hagagovic here.

One specific post caught our attention: Dina Farok, unlike many who just kept citing reasons as to why people choose the two companies over the regular taxis, pointed out that many of the reasons people are citing are actually infringing on traffic laws, or the laws governing taxis. You don't need to go to a police station to report these infringements – you just need to give the taxi’s license plate number to the nearest traffic officer or traffic checkpoint, and they will write him a ticket. At last, power! But, with great power comes great responsibility, so please don't write up every taxi you see out of spite, although they might deserve it. Before we get into what you can report, below is a video by El-Watan News of a young man trying to stop a taxi to El Sayeda Aicha, a crowded destination, to no avail - which is actually an act cab drivers can get a ticket for. 

Here is the list of infringements you can easily report:

1. If you stop a cab that refuses to take you to your destination, take his license plate number and ask the nearest traffic point or traffic officer to write up a mokhalfit emtena3 (refusal to accept fare).

2. Before getting in a cab, ask if his meter is working. If he says its not, you can write him up for tasyeer sayara ogra bedoon 3adad (driving a taxi without a meter).

3. If your driver is talking on the phone, or smoking cigarettes while driving, you can write him up for esa2a le mostakhdim sayara ogra w ta3reed arwa7 el mowateneen lel khatar (offending a taxi customer and endangering citizens’ lives).

4. If your driver tells you he doesn’t have change, tell him to stop the meter and tell him to drive to the nearest place to get change and pay him only what was on the meter when you reached your destination. If he reacts in any obscene way, call the police. (This one isn’t a law infringement, more like advice).

5. If your driver refuses to go into a side street because it has too many bumps or potholes, take his license plate number and report him for emtena3 tawseel el mosta2gir lel wag’ha el matlooba (refusal to drive customer to the desired location).

6. If you’re at a mall or at the airport and there are a bunch of drivers in a makeshift taxi station, asking for a larger fare than usual and saying that they are mall or airport taxis, take their license plate number and report for taghyeer elta3reefa elmokarara (changing the fixed fare).

7. Like number four, this last point is more so a piece of advice. When getting into a taxi, always take the license plate number and ask him for his telephone number. If he asks why, tell him “because I might need your services later.” You might need the number in case you forgot something, and if you do forget something and call him and he doesn’t answer, you can report him for theft!

Please don't abuse your newfound powers; we do not condone any fake reports, be responsible.