Uber said on Tuesday that it had made the decision to cease operating its ride-hailing app in Pakistan.
“We’ve made the decision to cease operating the Uber app in Pakistan,” a spokesperson for Uber told Dawn.com.
“Our subsidiary brand Careem will continue to operate, with the Careem app offering ride-hailing services across Pakistan and earning opportunities for drivers,” the spokesperson added.
In 2019, Uber had acquired its rival Careem for $3.1 billion. The two companies had said they would continue to operate their respective regional services and independent brands.
In October 2022, Uber had ceased operations in Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Islamabad. “Uber remains committed to Pakistan — we will continue to serve these five cities with our subsidiary brand Careem and continue to operate the Uber app in Lahore,” the company had said in a statement.
In an email sent to users in Lahore, Uber said it had made the “difficult decision to no longer offer the Uber app services in Lahore as of April 30”.
“Ride-hailing services will continue to be offered through our subsidiary brand Careem and you will have the option to sign up and request a trip on Careem to have a seamless experience,” the email read.
“In light of this, Careem Rides may reach out to you to check in and sign up. Please fill the form provided below by May 3, 2024 if you do not want your details to be shared with Careem.
“If you currently hold Uber Cash balance in your Uber Wallet, we will be communicating with you in due course on the process for reclaiming your Uber Cash balance,” it said as users were also offered a 50 per cent discount on five rides with Careem.