Cars move over, the buses are here!
The year 2015 was all about drivers on demand, with Uber and Careem taking the region by storm. We even saw protests when that happened. We really like Uber and Careem. Well specifically their promocodes and offers which we grab every month like here and here.
Another form of transportation started appearing in Egypt recently, and has been adding another strong form of mobility. We haven’t written about them before but we have them all listed here on Startups Galaxy. Buses in Egypt just got a major addition! We were able to find three very special startups helping students, employees and anyone who is travels long distances on a daily basis. Find below the three startups, what they do, why each is unique and how to use them!
1. BUSEET
Buseet offers mini buses from across many neighbourhoods in Cairo and Alexandria. It is a website, so you can book through your browser on desktop or mobile. That makes it easier than making sure you download an app and upgrading all the time. Buseet has buses across more than 20 stops aound Cairo alone.
Currently, the stops are available in:
- Sheikh Zayed
- 6th October
- Hadaeek October
- Cairo University
- Dokki
- Mohandessein
- Hadayek Al Ahram
- Haram
- Downtown
- Heliopolis
- Sheraton
- Nasr City
- Maadi
- 5th Settlement
- 1st Settlement
- Kattameya
- El Rehab City
- Madinaty
- El Sherouk
- Obour
- Sonbol City
Pricing is based on the distance. Depending on each route, there’s a different price. According to their website page here, the prices are as follows:
- First 5 kilometers: 5.00 EGP
- 5 to 10 kilometers: 5.00 EGP
- 10 to 20 kilometers: 5.00 EGP
- 20 to 30 kilometers: 5.00 EGP
- Each 10 kilometers above 30 kilometers: 3.00 EGP
We like Buseet’s flexibility in pricing and we also like that they have a good website. We like the no apps, no downloads idea!
2. SWVL
We mentioned Swvl before as one of the startups to use during the holiday break in winter. Since they are sponsoring an event in Ras Sedr, we thought to pick them! That blog post is here. This time, we’re mentioning them for a different reason. They’re also here because they provide daily transportation needs to and from multiple places in Cairo and Alexandria. Currently, they have points in:
- 6th October
- Smart Village
- Mohandesein
- Dokki
- Haram
- Tahrir
- Abdeen
- Hadak El Ahram
- Nasr City
- Heliopolis
- Mokattam
- Maadi (Zahra)
- 5th Settlement
- El Rehab City
- Madinaty
- Sherouk
Prices start at 25 EGP and upwards depending on the trip. They have van buses that move from one stop to another early morning and afternoon, basically to get you from the 9-5.
We like Swvl’s bus stops and fixed prices for routes. It just makes life easier knowing how much something will cost every day.
3. GOO AND BACK
Goo&Back uses a different model but also provides buses to ease the transportation issue faced by all of us getting from our homes to work. They have a very smart way of organizing transportation not by having fixed routes, but instead, they group people together. Each group has its own Facebook group and they organize the drop off points to your home. Which is great, why walk when you can get picked up straight away!
We love Goo & Back’s idea of door to door! We think that makes them unique here because there are no fixed stops!
There you go! The 3 startups in Egypt disrupting the usual transportation. Some buses in Egypt now offer convenience and affordability. Each of the three startups above has a different model and a different idea behind it. Pick your favourite, and off you go! We’ll keep an eye on them for any offers and discounts and publish that too!
What do you think about ride-sharing buses? Let us know!
