Uber Ready to Launch in Pakistan

[Riaz Haq]

Uber, the rapidly growing San Francisco based behemoth known for its taxi app,  appears to be getting ready to launch its service in Lahore, Pakistan, according to media reports.

A report in Tech In Asia points to the career page on Uber website that shows openings for “general manager”, “operations and logistics manager”, and a “marketing manager,” for Lahore,  Pakistan's second-largest city.

In fact, Uber has confirmed its plans to launch in Pakistan soon, according to TechJuice.

“We can confirm we are currently recruiting for a team in Lahore, and are very excited about launching in Pakistan as we see huge potential in the way we can help people move around their city safely and reliably,” Shaden Abdellatif, communications manager for Uber’s Middle East and Africa operations told TechJuice. “We are also excited about the opportunity for economic empowerment we can bring to the drivers we partner with.”

It makes sense given the size of the Pakistan's expanding urban middle class with its fast growing mobile broadband subscriptions combined with rising smartphone sales in the country.

Pakistanis are signing up for 3G and 4G services at a rate of 1 to 2 million new subscriptions a month. In September 2015 alone, Pakistan Telecom Authority reported 2.22 million new 3G and 4G subscriptions in the country. There's corresponding increase in demand for smartphones.

With over 18 million smartphones and mobile broadband subscriptions, Pakistan is ripe for a whole range of new businesses from e-commerce to gaming to various online services like Uber that are accessed through smartphone apps.

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[Riaz Haq]

#Dubai-based #Careem leaves #Uber in the dust in #Pakistan

http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/dubai-based-care...

Uber says Pakistan is one of its fastest growing global markets and Careem asserts that its local operations have grown at an average rate of 50 per cent month-on-month.

Word on the street is that Careem is comfortably beating Uber, both in terms of active riders as well as cars plying the roads. The view is consistent with data from SimilarWeb, which says Careem is the larger company in Pakistan based on app installs.

Uber is priced anywhere between 25 to 30 per cent cheaper than Careem. If the Middle Eastern challenger is indeed ahead, it shows that Pakistan’s commuters want a premium experience and aren’t hesitant about paying slightly more for it.

[Riaz Haq]

#Egyptian transport start-up targets #Philippines, #Bangladesh after #Pakistan. Swvl, which has raised $80 million in funding so far, launched its services in August in #Pakistani cities of #Karachi, #Lahore and twin cities of #Islamabad-#Rawalpindi. https://reut.rs/2Kadaby

Swvl, an Egyptian startup with an app to book bus tickets, plans to launch operations in the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh by the end of next year, a senior official said.

The startup, which operates buses along fixed routes and allows customers to reserve and pay for them using its app, began operations in Egypt in 2017. Swvl has since launched in Pakistan and recently moved its headquarters to Dubai.

“By the end of next year, we want to be in more cities, a city is a market for us. We are planning to open in Manila, Jakarta and Dhaka,” Shahzeb Memon, Swvl Pakistan’s general manager told Reuters on Monday in a phone interview from Karachi.

The company, which has raised $80 million in funding so far, launched its services in August in the Pakistani cities of Karachi, Lahore and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It plans to invest $25 million in the country to create 10,000 jobs and hopes to attract half a million customers by 2021, Memon said.

The company, however, has already run into regulatory hurdles.

Last week, a provincial government in Pakistan issued notices to the startup and another similar service saying they were operating without route permits and no-objection certificates from the government.

Swvl Pakistan responded with a statement saying the company always carried out its business in a lawful manner and was committed to complying with the region’s laws.

Swvl says its service targets existing ride-hailing users and aims to create transportation options for a large and growing middle class in Asian cities.

Swvl’s services are 30%-40% cheaper than using a car, Memon said.