عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan

‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan
TT
TT

‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan

‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan

Uber Jordan today has announced the launch of taxi-hailing service ‘Uber Taxi’ in the country. Jordan is the first country in the Middle East to get Uber Taxi. Careem that was recently acquired by Uber recently, however, has taxi-hailing services in many of its markets in the region including Jordan.

Uber in a statement said that the launch of Uber Taxi in Jordan is a testament to Uber’s support of the public transport sector in the nation, as well as its efforts to make transportation even more accessible to residents and visitors alike.

The statement also noted that Uber Taxi has expanded company’s network of vehicles in the country and will provide new economic opportunities for taxi drivers who will have access to more trips.

The announcement comes almost two weeks after Uber’s acquisition of its rival Careem but apparently the launch has nothing to do with Careem already having the option to hail taxis in Jordan as the two companies are not expected to have any integration until the deal is closed.

The base fare of UberX, Uber’s low-cost car type and Uber Taxi is same, JOD 0.5 ($0.71) but the taxi is relatively cheaper than Uber X as the per KM charges for Uber Taxi are set at JOD 0.130 compared to Uber X’s JOD 0.140 and per minute charges on Uber Taxi are JOD 0.050 whereas Uber X charges JOD 0.060.

Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Vice President of Uber operations in Europe, Middle East & Africa, commenting on the launch, said, “I am honored to announce the arrival of Uber Taxi in Jordan, and we are excited to be tapping into local modes of transport so that more riders and drivers can benefit from our technology. Jordan is a fast growing market, especially in the smart transport services sector, and through this launch, we aim to move towards our goal of becoming a multi-modality platform,”

“Furthermore, we hope that this will galvanize the development of transportation services in Jordan, and provide taxi drivers new opportunities to reap the economic benefits by using our technology to maximize their earning potential through the option of pairing with the closest Uber Taxi rider in addition to traditional street hailing,” he added.

Uber Taxi can be accessed through the regular Uber app as another car option by the users in Jordan. The company already has on-boarded hundreds of taxi drivers who are ready to start accepting the trips.

The taxi drivers, per the statement, will receive the same privileges provided to all Uber drivers and will be charged a reduced service fee.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
TT
TT

Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo

The US dollar charged ahead on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields, putting the yen, sterling and euro under pressure near multi-month lows amid the shifting threat of tariffs.

The focus for markets in 2025 has been on US President-elect Donald Trump's agenda as he steps back into the White House on Jan. 20, with analysts expecting his policies to both bolster growth and add to price pressures, according to Reuters.

CNN on Wednesday reported that Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries. On Monday, the Washington Post said Trump was looking at more nuanced tariffs, which he later denied.

Concerns that policies introduced by the Trump administration could reignite inflation has led bond yields higher, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note hitting 4.73% on Wednesday, its highest since April 25. It was at 4.6709% on Thursday.

"Trump's shifting narrative on tariffs has undoubtedly had an effect on USD. It seems this capriciousness is something markets will have to adapt to over the coming four years," said Kieran Williams, head of Asia FX at InTouch Capital Markets.

The bond market selloff has left the dollar standing tall and casting a shadow on the currency market.

Among the most affected was the pound, which was headed for its biggest three-day drop in nearly two years.

Sterling slid to $1.2239 on Thursday, its weakest since November 2023, even as British government bond yields hit multi-year highs.

Ordinarily, higher gilt yields would support the pound, but not in this case.

The sell-off in UK government bond markets resumed on Thursday, with 10-year and 30-year gilt yields jumping again in early trading, as confidence in Britain's fiscal outlook deteriorates.

"Such a simultaneous sell-off in currency and bonds is rather unusual for a G10 country," said Michael Pfister, FX analyst at Commerzbank.

"It seems to be the culmination of a development that began several months ago. The new Labour government's approval ratings are at record lows just a few months after the election, and business and consumer sentiment is severely depressed."

Sterling was last down about 0.69% at $1.2282.

The euro also eased, albeit less than the pound, to $1.0302, lurking close to the two-year low it hit last week as investors remain worried the single currency may fall to the key $1 mark this year due to tariff uncertainties.

The yen hovered near the key 160 per dollar mark that led to Tokyo intervening in the market last July, after it touched a near six-month low of 158.55 on Wednesday.

Though it strengthened a bit on the day and was last at 158.15 per dollar. That all left the dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other units, up 0.15% and at 109.18, just shy of the two-year high it touched last week.

Also in the mix were the Federal Reserve minutes of its December meeting, released on Wednesday, which showed the central bank flagged new inflation concerns and officials saw a rising risk the incoming administration's plans may slow economic growth and raise unemployment.

With US markets closed on Thursday, the spotlight will be on Friday's payrolls report as investors parse through data to gauge when the Fed will next cut rates.