According to UAE’s The National, over 70 cars impounded this weekend, but no one quite understands why the drivers were arrested or cars impounded.
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Vehicle hailing services Uber and Careem have temporarily suspended operations in Abu Dhabi, UAE after the country’s police arrested around 50 drivers.
“This is a temporary suspension and we will let you know of any further updates”, an Uber spokesperson in Dubai told Reuters. They are also required to price their services in line with limousine services and can not compete directly with the city’s taxi companies. They have not specified the reason for suspending their services or when they plan to resume operations.
Ride-hailing service Uber has halted operations in the capital of the United Arab Emirates after 50 of its drivers and that of rival service Careem were reportedly arrested.
In July, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said it will launch a common booking and payment app to integrate private methods of transport with its own services.
Careem’s marketing vice president in Dubai Christian Eid said the companies made a decision to go offline due to “nervousness and lack of clarity” over the detention of their drivers.
Uber, a California-based company, and Careem, which is headquartered in Dubai, had been operational in the capital since 2013.
“We will make sure the disruption is minimal to our customers and thank them for their understanding during this time”, the company added.
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The Abu Dhabi government’s Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars, which manages the taxi and transport sector, did not respond to queries. Please see our terms of service for more information.
