Women-Only Ride Services Offer Safer Alternatives to Uber in Egypt

This article is published in collaboration with Egab, a platform empowering journalists from the Middle East and Africa to publish stories in international media outlets.

In February of this year, Habiba El-Shamaa, 24, jumped from a moving vehicle in a desperate bid to escape what prosecutors later called an attempted kidnapping. The Uber driver, who had registered on the ride-hailing app with forged documents, was also found guilty of driving under the influence, carrying cannabis, and falsifying official records. El-Shamaa fell into a coma from her injuries and died 21 days later. 

Habiba’s death became a flashpoint in Egypt, drawing attention to the alarming frequency of women’s safety and vulnerability in the ride-hailing industry. Since then, there has been a wave of allegations in Egypt against Uber and other ride-hailing platforms, including sexual harassment and assault, prompting a social media outcry and calls for a boycott.

Uber, in a statement issued in September, pledged to collaborate with local authorities and support investigations. However, the incidents have raised pressing questions about safety measures within Egypt's burgeoning ride-sharing industry.

A decade ago, the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked Egypt as the worst country in the Arab world for women, and more recently, Cairo was labeled the world’s “most dangerous megacity” for women. Ride-sharing platforms, like Uber, launched in Egypt in 2014, offering a new transportation option. However, according to the Arab Barometer, 44 percent of Egyptian women reported experiencing sexual harassment within a 12-month period. Many women expressed feeling unsafe while using ride-hailing services, citing repeated allegations of driver misconduct.

Reem Fawzim, in response to this trend, founded Pink Taxi Egypt in 2015, a local alternative tailored to prioritize women’s safety. The service’s dedicated app launched in March 2023 and quickly gained traction. 

“We started Pink Taxi after hearing countless stories of women facing harassment while using public transportation or traditional taxis,” Fawzi said in an interview. “My vision was to create a service by women, for women, ensuring privacy, safety, and peace of mind.”

Five women initially were trained as drivers to cover areas such as New Cairo and Heliopolis. The app has been downloaded over 100,000 times since then. 

Pink Taxi drivers undergo rigorous training, background checks, and continuous monitoring, standards that starkly contrast with the relatively lenient oversight of drivers employed by global giants who operate in Egypt.

“During my college years, I often relied on Pink Taxi. Knowing the drivers were women made me feel safe every time,” Heba Mohsen, a loyal Pink Taxi customer, told More to Her Story. “Safety is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity.” 

For women like Sarah Mohamed, a homemaker in Cairo and a Pink Taxi driver, the concept represents more than just transportation. It’s a “challenge to societal norms.”

“If we can shoulder enormous responsibilities in our lives, why not drive taxis?” she said, recounting how she faced ridicule from peers but persevered to provide for her children.

Farag El-Sayed, a professor of architecture, returned to Egypt after 27 years abroad, seeking to adapt to the challenges of daily life in Cairo’s congested streets. From this experience, he conceived Waslini, a women-only ride-hailing service that offers safe and comfortable transportation operated entirely by female drivers.

The initiative started with WhatsApp groups where women driving their own cars sought to earn an income while serving others in their communities. Two years later, Waslini now operates in 60 districts across Cairo, with plans to expand nationwide through a new app they plan to launch soon.

“Waslini is more than just a safe transportation service,” he explained. “We introduced an innovative feature called Elhaqouni, which provides women with an immediate emergency response option and works even without an internet connection.”

The hallmark of Waslini is its emphasis on safety and privacy. All drivers are women, fostering a secure and reassuring environment for both passengers and drivers.

“We started small, with a group dedicated to each district in Greater Cairo, Giza, and Qalyubia. As demand grew, we expanded to over 120 groups, some reaching [WhatsApp’s] maximum capacity of 1,025 members [per group], prompting us to create new ones,” Waslini’s operation manager, Azza Ismail, said. “The upcoming app is a key step toward broader accessibility and scalability.” 

Samar Zakaria, a Waslini driver and divorced mother of two, struggled to find a job because of her age until a friend introduced her to Waslini.

“This job gives me incredible flexibility, allowing me to balance my work schedule with caring for my children. The sense of safety I feel driving women and children makes this more than just a job. It’s a mission.” 

For clients like Samar Moharram, Waslini has become indispensable. The service is a vital part of her daily routine, especially when her son moves between daycare and his father for practice or important appointments.

“The cost isn’t cheap, but it’s fair compared to other options, and the safety they provide is priceless. I would never trust services like Uber for my children, given the incidents I’ve heard about,” she told More to Her Story.

Amid the challenges of motherhood and the ever-present concern for her children’s safety, Hanan Kamel, a teacher in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement, found inspiration to launch Female, a ride-hailing app designed exclusively for women and girls.

The idea took root in 2020 and became a reality in June 2021 with just four cars. Despite debt and the struggles of starting a business, Kamel began operations in Heliopolis, relying on the support of friends and Facebook ads. Over time, the service expanded into a network that now covers 80 percent of Cairo and 40 percent of Giza.

“Customers feel reassured throughout their journey, with the option to receive a full refund if any issue arises,” Kamel explained. “This app has become a lifeline for many women, including widows who support their families by driving. Trust in the app has grown significantly, especially during the school season when mothers rely on it for the safe transportation of their children.”

Now, with a fleet of over 500 vehicles and a stable administrative headquarters, the project has become a model for supporting women and the community.

Hoda Al-Mallah, an economic expert and director of the International Center for Economic Consulting and Feasibility Studies, believes that the introduction of women-only ride-hailing services in Egypt faces significant challenges. Chief among these is stiff competition from established players like Uber, InDrive, and DiDi, which hold considerable market share and boast extensive expertise.  

Al-Mallah underscores how women-driven ride services offer a secure and private alternative, alleviating concerns about interactions with male drivers. 

“This concept empowers women economically and offers a practical solution for mothers seeking safe transportation for their children,” she noted. 

However, she points out that inflation poses a considerable barrier, as rising prices limit access to women-only ride services for lower-income segments.

“Uber, in particular, stands out with its clean, reliable services and reasonable prices, making it a preferred choice compared to traditional taxis. Under these circumstances, women-focused ride services will need a robust strategy.”