Careem appeals court ban

AMMAN — Ride-hailing app company Careem on Tuesday said it appealed a court ruling banning the application and its services from operating in the Kingdom.

In a message sent to drivers using the application, Careem said its services were temporarily suspended after the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) sent a letter to the country's telecoms demanding the ban of the application.

"We assure all our captains [drivers] that we are exerting our utmost efforts and that we have already appealed the court ruling and we are waiting for the judiciary's decision…we are certain that the Jordanian judicial authorities will be fair in their decision," Careem said in the message sent to its drivers.

Careem also extended its apology to its users on its Facebook page, saying it "regretted the decision" banning the application and expressing hope that it will resume its services as soon as possible.

On Monday, the TRC sent a letter to the country's telecom companies demanding blocking the application following a recent ruling by the West Amman Court which banned the ride-hailing app from operating in the Kingdom until it gets the necessary licences from the concerned authorities.

Careem users have voiced their dismay over the decision.

"People are moving forward and we are going backward…instead of supporting them we ban them," Mohammad Mustafa said in a post on Careem's Facebook page.

"I hope that all will protest the court ruling banning the application…I do not think that a company like Careem that provides services that are satisfactory to all people is harming anyone…Careem provides a good services and we want it to stay," Nawras Monther wrote in a comment on Careem's official page.

Martn Malak agreed. "Why ban the application after many young Jordanians bought cars and started paying installments hoping that they will make extra income…this is really annoying and a large majority of yellow taxis do not provide good services," Malak said in a post on Tuesday.

Hamzeh, a recent graduate of the accounting faculty from the University of Jordan, bought a car to start working as a Careem captain recently. 

"I bought a Ford car through installments for JD15,000 and I am making a good income per month…blocking the application is not a solution. How will I pay for the car now as I cannot get a job with a good salary with my certificate," Hamzeh told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

"There are many young Jordanians who started working with Careem to support their families…I believe we should support technology and innovation, not fight them," Hamzeh said.

There are around 17,000 yellow taxis currently operating in Jordan. According to the 2010 Public Transport Law, it is mandatory to obtain a special licence to operate a public transport vehicle.