Uber, the global ride-hailing service, has launched an intercity bus service in Egypt with roundtrip routes between Cairo and Alexandria.
According to an Uber statement, it plans to expand the intercity bus service, which is accessible via its mobile app, in other governorates of Egypt in the coming months.
The statement highlighted that the service operates seven days a week with eight journeys per day. Riders can pre-book their trips through the app. The routes have up to 9 pick up and drop off points across the two governorates.
“Egypt is an innovation hub and a fantastic environment for testing new products. By leveraging Uber’s technology, the new intercity service will introduce a convenient means of transporting users between governorates.
“As we continue to invest in the Egyptian market, we remain committed to broadening our product range to provide convenient transportation solutions within and across cities,” Uber Egypt’s General Manager Ahmed Khalil said.
To ensure the safety of riders, Uber emphasised that intercity buses will follow COVID-19 safety measures, where riders and drivers are required to wear facemasks during trips. Maximum seating capacity has also been reduced to encourage physical distancing between riders, and sanitiser dispensers have been installed in all the buses.
This is the second first for Egypt in the Uber journey. The North African country was the first to host Uber’s intra-city bus service which was launched in December 2018.
The trial and success of the intra-city bus service led Uber to extend the service to Ukraine and Mexico in 2018.
