Lawyer Mahmoud Kharabsheh, acting on behalf of the taxi drivers, told Jordan Times the ruling means “those who work with Careem” will be barred from operating in the country, while the app itself will be blocked in Jordan.
“This is a fair decision as owners of yellow taxis are investors who paid millions for their investments and they pay income tax and they pay… registration fees and other investment fees as registered companies unlike drivers with Careem and other apps,” the lawyer told Jordan Times.
Careem is a ride-sharing app widely used across the Middle East. Like Uber, it allows customers to hail taxi services via their mobile phones, from drivers registered with the app and who use their own vehicles.
The service is popular in Amman where public transport is lacking and many prefer the more stringent in-house regulations Careem provides, over conventional yellow cabs in the city.
Tens of thousands of Careem drivers are likely to be affected by the ban, along with many more customers.
