Rabat – The worldwide transport firm, Uber, will suspend activity in Morocco beginning February 23. The company released its announcement on February 19 on the Uber Blog.
Emphasizing its decision to suspend its activities in the country, Uber said that “Unfortunately, since our launch in Morocco, almost 3 years ago, we have not had any clarity about integrating applications like Uber into the existing transport model.”
“That’s why we make the difficult decision to suspend our activity in Morocco,” read the statement.
Read Also: Casablanca Taxi Drivers Protest Against Uber and Careem
Recalling the achievements made by its services in the country since its launch, Uber said that “nearly 19,000 regular users travel with Uber, while approximately 300 drivers use our application.”
However, “the current regulatory uncertainty does not allow us to provide a safe and reliable experience that meets the requirements of our customers, both drivers and passengers.”
The company said that it will provide the 300 drivers for whom Uber’s application was a source of income with individual support “to overcome this difficult transition.”
The company has expressed its desire to maintain their services in Morocco as the North African country “ranked among the 50 most innovative countries, according to Bloomberg Innovation Index.” The American firm added that the country deserves more developed regulation, which encourages innovation and competition.
“Our partnership with COP22 in November 2016 enabled us to facilitate more than 10,000 hybrid and electric vehicle trips in less than a week. And we know that there are still many opportunities to put our technology at the service of mobility in Morocco.”
Read Also: Moroccan Tourist Transport Professionals Struggle to Compete With Uber
In the past few months, taximen in the city of Casablanca have been staging protests against what they call the “unfair competition” of Uber and Careem.
The taxi drivers of Morocco’s economic hub claim that they are victims of Uber and Careem and that they are determined to remove these transportation services from Morocco.
