NEW APP LETS YOU BOOK A 'VESPA' FOR YOUR NEXT RIDE

Uber, Careem in smart transportation

Cairo traffic is no joke; research by the World Bank shows that the capital's congestion problem costs Egypt a whopping EGP 50 billion per year, with too many cars and not enough trains or buses, for the millions of desperate workers to commute every day. But what about motorcycles? The question set entrepreneur Mohamed Salah off on a quest.

His app, aptly named Vesba, is similar to car booking applications such as Uber and Careem, except their vehicles are Vespas and scooters. The app, which was released on July 1st, is currently in its beta phase and only available for Android on the Google Play Store and aims to provide a faster, cheaper alternative transportation.

In an intervew with Startup Scene, Salah explains what gave him the idea for the innovative app and his plans for expansion. “Last winter I worked in Smart Village. I live in Dokki, and I used to have to make the trip to and from the village every day. Traffic was always really bad on the way home, and it got me wondering, why isn’t there a faster way for me to commute than cars and public transportation? That's how I got the idea for Vesba.”

It wasn’t until the recent increase in gas prices that Salah decided it was time to make his idea a reality. “I asked around and found out that Vespas and scooters use much less gas than cars do, making them a much cheaper mode of transportation. And they are perfect for someone who commutes alone, like I used to.”

The fare of the app relies on the following:

Trip starts at EGP 3.

Price per km costs EGP 1.1.

Waiting time is EGP 0.25 per minute.

Vespa announced the conditions for accepting drivers as follows:

Driver must be between 21 and 35 years old.

Registration takes place with the driver’s own Vespas. Regular motorbikes are not acceptable, as they provide less safety to riders.

Drivers must be 70 kgs at most, since the maximum load per Vespa is 150 kgs.

Vespas must have a backrest and a foot support.

Vespas must be newer than 2007.

Drivers must abide by traffic laws and have two helmets, for the driver and rider.

Vespas must have USB outlets to charge mobile phones.

The app, however, comes with several disadvantages. Women are not eligible for ordering a Vespa through the app. The natural method of the passenger sitting behind the driver will force them to embrace the driver from the back—which does not commensurate with norms and public traditions. The company has announced its intentions to hire female drivers to facilitate using the app for women.

For more on Vespa, check out their Facebook