Egyptian police crack down on protesting taxi drivers
Egyptian security forces have cracked down on taxi drivers protesting car-hailing application Uber's expansion in the North African country.
Police fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse taxi drivers who were blocking a major road in the capital, Cairo, witnesses said.
The taxi drivers who had left their cars on the streets and gathered in a roundabout on Gameat el-Dowal street, had created a major traffic jam when police vehicles arrived on the scene.
"We are not leaving until an official comes and gives us his word that all these apps will be shut down in Egypt," said Sherif Ali, a taxi driver and one of the protest organizers.
Taxi drivers have been protesting Uber's presence in the country in recent weeks. The application has very rapidly become popular in Cairo, a city of 20 million people with almost-constant traffic jams.
Egyptian clients say they prefer the dependability of the app, complaining that normal taxi drivers often tamper with their meters or pretend the meter is broken in order to overcharge them. They also appreciate the safety provided by the app, especially for female passengers at night who fear being sexually harassed by drivers.
Taxi drivers have complained that Uber drivers have an unfair advantage because they do not have to pay the same kind of taxes or licensing fees.
Domestic newspapers have come out in support of the taxis, publishing unconfirmed reports of officials saying Uber and Careem - another car-hailing app - were violating Egyptian law.
Uber Egypt General Manager Anthony el-Khoury told media that company executives plan to meet with government officials this week to find solutions to this standoff and ways to coexist.
El-Khoury claims that Uber drivers do in fact pay Egyptian government taxes when they are licensed or via car rental companies, which do pay their own corporate taxes.
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