An Egyptian administrative court on Tuesday ordered ride-share services Uber and Careem to halt operations in the country, in a decision stemming from complaints filed by local taxi drivers.
The suit was filed by drivers who claimed the San Francisco-based Uber and UAE-based Careem were in violation of traffic laws that barred the use of private vehicles for commercial services. The administrative court, in a statement, said the decision could be appealed.
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Careem said on its Facebook page that it hadn’t been informed of the decision and that it was continuing its operations. Uber officials in Egypt weren’t immediately available for comment.
The case builds on a long-festering dispute between taxi drivers and their ride-sharing counterparts. The taxi drivers have repeatedly complained that they are forced to shoulder licensing costs not borne by Uber and Careem.
The two companies have been steadily expanding their services in the Arab world’s most populous nation.