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Egyptian transport start-up targets Philippines, Bangladesh after Pakistan launch

Published 11/11/2019, 02:54 PM
Updated 11/11/2019, 02:56 PM
Egyptian transport start-up targets Philippines, Bangladesh after Pakistan launch

By Syed Raza Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Swvl, an Egyptian
startup with an app to book bus tickets, plans to launch
operations in the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh by the
end of next year, a senior official said.
The startup, which operates buses along fixed routes and
allows customers to reserve and pay for them using its app,
began operations in Egypt in 2017. Swvl has since launched in
Pakistan and recently moved its headquarters to Dubai.
"By the end of next year, we want to be in more cities, a
city is a market for us. We are planning to open in Manila,
Jakarta and Dhaka," Shahzeb Memon, Swvl Pakistan's general
manager told Reuters on Monday in a phone interview from
Karachi.
The company, which has raised $80 million in funding so far,
launched its services in August in the Pakistani cities of
Karachi, Lahore and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
It plans to invest $25 million in the country to create 10,000
jobs and hopes to attract half a million customers by 2021,
Memon said.
The company, however, has already run into regulatory
hurdles.
Last week, a provincial government in Pakistan issued
notices to the startup and another similar service saying they
were operating without route permits and no-objection
certificates from the government.
Swvl Pakistan responded with a statement saying the company
always carried out its business in a lawful manner and was
committed to complying with the region's laws.
Swvl says its service targets existing ride-hailing users
and aims to create transportation options for a large and
growing middle class in Asian cities.
Swvl's services are 30%-40% cheaper than using a car, Memon
said.

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