The launching of the Uber application in Egypt has changed transportation as we know it. Since its initial launch in Cairo 2014, it has expanded and now operates in numerous cities including Alexandria, Hurghada, Mansoura, Tanta, and Damanhur. As much as this revolutionary service has been a convenient mean for Egyptians to move around, especially considering the safety concerns centering other transportation methods, one can say it has become a nightmare to local taxi drivers. In the informal words of Egyptians, the growth of Uber means the “قطع العيش” (direct translation: cutting of bread) to local taxi drivers, which basically means that their livelihood is being tarnished. Despite this, the presence of local taxis on Egyptian roads has not been reduced even if the customer level has decreased. For this reason, local taxi drivers have become an invisible community. This specific picture of the empty taxicab was taken while in an Uber, where the question struck me; how are local taxi drivers surviving? That is why our group aims to raise awareness to encourage the youth to support local transportation and help taxi drivers regain their reputation and position in Egyptian society.
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| An empty local taxicab in Ciaro |
