Taxi App for Night Time Rides Comes to Casablanca

Rabat – A North African-American company launched new mobile application “Yassir,” for taxi reservations at night in Casablanca on Tuesday, October 15. The launch took place at a presentation given by the app’s creators.

The application allows its users to order a taxi in the same way as ridesharing service Uber. The difference, however, is that “Yassir” works with actual taxis rather than independent drivers.

The users can input the address of their destination, as well as their current location. The application then puts them in contact with an available taxi driver who is already nearby.

After the ride, both the driver and the passenger can rate each other.

At the moment, the service is only available between 8 pm and 7 am, a period when it is difficult for travelers to find a taxi, and for drivers to find passengers.

“We conducted a study to understand the difficulties that both passengers and drivers face. We found out that passengers cannot find a taxi and drivers cannot find customers at night. Our services will satisfy both sides,” said the general director of “Yassir” in Morocco, Rachid Moulay El Ghazi.

As the app offers an upgraded service from traditional taxis, the prices are also higher than the normal taxi fares.

The company’s general director emphasized the agreement between the app creators and taxi drivers, to avoid the problems that arose in the past between taxi drivers and other independent drivers.

In February 2018, American ridesharing services company Uber decided to shut down its services in Morocco, three years after they launched it. The shutdown came after taximen in Casablanca staged protests against what they called the “unfair competition” from Uber.

Last summer, “Yassir” signed an agreement with the Democratic Syndicate of Transports that allows taxi drivers to work with the application. The agreement, however, included a number of requirements for the drivers before registering with “Yassir.”

The drivers willing to work for the company need to be the owners of their cars. They must also undertake regular training, especially in conflict management. Additionally, taxis must be less than five years old and properly maintained.

The company aims to widen their presence  in Morocco. “Yassir” will offer more services in the future, such as food delivery. They also intend to expand their services to be available in more Moroccan cities.

“Yassir” was created in 2007 in Algeria. It currently operates in the three North African countries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.