The idea of establishing the company Buseet, an online mass transit company, came as a result of the Egyptian market’s need for convenient mass transportation at an acceptable cost, according to Amr El-Sawy, CEO of BUSEET.
El-Sawy believes that Egyptian consumers should not have to pay too much money to use transportation in a convenient way through mobile applications, so he decided to create BUSEET.
In addition to that, Egyptians waste a lot of time and effort either in public transportation or driving in crowded streets, according to El-Sawy. Looking at the problem objectively, he was encouraged to turn it into an investment opportunity through the service BUSEET which depends on providing convenient and inexpensive transportation with prices that are 40% lower than private passenger transport applications and 75% lower than using a taxi. This will help reduce congestion by attracting private car owners, according to El-Sawy.
The idea of BUSEET involves renting air-conditioned buses from tourism companies, especially that the latter have been suffering from recession as a result of the decline in tourism in Egypt. These buses operate on the specified route and time. The seats are reserved in advance through the company’s website; in addition, there is an alert message sent to clients before the arrival of the bus to the station in order not to waste their time.
According to El-Sawy, the company selects its drivers based on a certain criteria. He said that a drug test is carried out. Moreover, drivers are required to take a driving course at the Road Safety Training Centre, while continuing the periodic testing of drug abuse in order to ensure the safety of customers.
BUSEET offers services in a number of Greater Cairo areas as well as services in the North Coast, as well as from Cairo to the North Coast. The most prominent areas available are 6th of October City, Sheikh Zayed, Smart Village, Heliopolis, Nasr City, Mohandessin, Katameya, Maadi, Fifth settlement, First Settelment, Sheraton, Al Rehab, Dokki, Cairo University, Hadayek El Ahram, Downtown, El Shorouk, Madinaty, Sidi Abdel Rahman, and Marina in the North Coast.
On the other hand, Careem has invested in Swvl, a company specialised in mass transit through mobile applications.
Careem, the ride-hailing service in the Middle East and North Africa, announced that it has invested in bus transportation network Swvl, the brain child of former Careem market launcher, Mostafa Kandil, fulfilling its mission to build an institution for the region. The investment, $500,000 in seed funding, will be used to help Swvl expand into new cities and markets as well as roll out new product features within its app, including new payment options. In addition to the investment, Careem’s CEO and co-founder, Magnus Olsson, will be joining Swvl’s board of directors.
“Swvl and Careem share a similar mission in that we both wish to solve the transportation challenges facing the MENASA region,” said Olsson.
