Regular Uber not fancy enough for you? UberSELECT launches in Cairo

The app-based ride-hailing company Uber has announced the Cairo launch of its “Select” service, which allows users to opt for a newer car and higher-rated driver in exchange for a slightly steeper fare.

The base fare for the service starts at LE5, with a minimum fare of LE15 per trip. Riders will be charged LE0.30 per minute and LE1.40 per km. The company’s basic service, UberX — which has been operating in Cairo since November 2014 — has a base fare of LE3 and a minimum of LE10, with charges of LE0.20 per minute and LE1.30 per km.

According to the company’s fare calculator, a typical trip from Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo to Roxy Square in Heliopolis will cost LE29-37 with UberSELECT, compared to LE22-29 with UberX.

The base fare for the city’s white taxis was set at LE3 in 2014, with an additional LE1.40 per km and LE0.28 per minute and no minimum charge, making both Uber services more expensive for short trips but competitive at longer distances.

Uber has proven hugely popular with customers, who have long complained of poor service from white taxis, including tampering with or refusing to use the meter, refusing to drive to certain destinations, erratic driving and sexual harassment.

According to a lawsuit filed by the League of White Taxi Cab Drivers, taxi revenues have fallen by 30 percent on average due to Uber and other competing services.

Mirroring campaigns in many other countries, Egypt’s taxi drivers have launched a protest campaign against Uber as well as its competitor Careem and local private services like Pink Taxi. Drivers claim Uber and Careem violate traffic and transport laws by using private cars as unmarked taxis. The companies also compete unfairly since they avoid paying fees for professional licenses, trade union dues, taxi registration, insurance and health checks, drivers say.

Protesting drivers also point out that customers can report any violations by taxi drivers to local police stations, although this is much more difficult than filing a complaint through applications like Uber.

Last month, the Cabinet announced it was forming a committee to seek a legal resolution to the ongoing conflict between taxi drivers and app-based companies.