The move comes into effect from September 1…

If you’re a regular Careem or Uber user in Dubai, take note: the cheapest options Go by Careem and Uber X are now no longer available.

The decision came as a directive from Dubai’s Roads and Transports Authority (RTA), effective from September 1, after both pilot projects came to an end.

According to The National, an RTA spokesperson said “Uber X and Careem Go were introduced as short-term pilot e-hailing services for customers seeking an economy option. All this was done to compare and evaluate existing and new e-hailing services in the city and check on the feasibility of such technology and services in the market.”

An email sent to Careem customers read “In collaboration with the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), the GO car type was launched as a Pilot Project in 2017 and is now coming to an end. As of today, this option will no longer be available in Dubai.”

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The news comes ahead of the official launch of Hala Taxi, a joint venture between Careem and the RTA, which is expected this September. Announced in July 2019, Hala will allow riders to ‘e-hail’ an RTA taxi from within the Careem app, in order to increase efficiency of travel journeys. RTA is offering 50 per cent of its fleet to the service, meaning riders shouldn’t have to wait more than a few minutes for their car to arrive.

Careem users will continue to build their points with the Hala service, meaning they can still reap the rewards of being a regular Careem user. Riders can also pay through the app, plan their trip route and rate their driver, as with the regular app.

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