Careem is a UAE-based cab-hailing app operating currently in 10 major cities of Pakistan. Careem is the pioneer of ride-hailing apps in Pakistan and it undoubtedly provided the masses with a new way of travelling and daily commute. Initially, it was a sustainable mode of transportation as it created a corporate opportunity for drivers while offering an affordable and reliable way of travelling for passengers. Furthermore, it created income-generating opportunities for many irrespective of age and gender.
It was a win-win situation. However, with time, the service has dramatically worsened and its clientele and even drivers famously named ’captains’ are shifting to other similar apps like B4U Cabs and InDriver which offer more features, fewer fares, and more money for the drivers.
Money-minded people saw this as a business opportunity and bought Used Cars For Sale In Pakistan exclusively for Careem. This created sustainable income generation for those who did this as an investment.
It is an undeniable fact that when Careem was launched, it revolutionised the way people moved. Pakistan’s mass transit crisis is as big as ever combined with the surging prices of cars in the last decade, it became realistically impossible for a layman to even buy Used Cars For Sale In Pakistan.
When it launched in Pakistan, it started overcoming the barriers to mobility that the government is unable to fulfil. However, today, Careem is not the big trustworthy app many use anymore as ‘no captains are available almost on a daily basis or there is a 2x or 3x peak factor almost at any time of the day. Now, you can hardly find a car or Rickshaw in many parts of the city.
Many daily users who travelled on Careem for their office commute have found other apps with better services as Careem is not reliable anymore, The frequent customers can’t rely on an app that may or may not have any cars available.
Security Concerns of Women
Traveling alone in Pakistan is already a whole chore for men as they are constantly subjected to leers and staring, unwanted sexual advances, harassment and entitlement by men. Thus, cab-hailing rides need to be particularly careful when devising their safety policies, particularly for women.
With most women being financially dependent on men it is quite difficult to simply buy a Car For Sale In Lahore for their personal use.
However, even after the numerous harassment complaints by female passengers, Careem took no action against the accused drivers as it was bad for business.
Technically, Careem promises a safe and secure daily commute as it checks the captain’s criminal record, vehicle registration, and vehicle beforehand. Moreover, the ride tracking features, safety buttons, and emergency measures should be a safe bet. Unfortunately, there are many loopholes in the grand scheme of things.
Sometimes the drivers offer to cancel the ride and take you privately to the location as his cut isn’t much from the ride. However, it raises security concerns in the passengers’ heads. Some complete the ride mid-way and can take you anywhere as your ride can’t be tracked anymore.
Careem really needs to improve its policies and methods in order to ensure security for women as a majority belonging to the working class use it daily for commuting purposes. Careem has overcome the issues of mobility in Pakistan for women but needs to improve its security practices.
Money Grabbing Business Model
The business model of Careem is pretty straightforward, the passengers pay a set price to the driver. The driver pays a set cut from the fare to the company. A major reason many drivers have shifted to another app is the steep cut Careem keeps for itself whereas other car-hailing apps keep a low cut for the company and even sometimes the driver keeps the whole fare to himself and the app keeps acting as a bridge between the driver and passenger.
The management at Careem needs to understand that their unsatisfied drivers complain to the passengers regarding the massive cut they keep to themselves. With the hike in petrol prices commuting has become incredibly difficult for everyone and the drivers don’t get any profit if the company is bent on exploiting the drivers.
Moreover, Careem has higher fares as compared to other transportation apps which have ultimately compelled the customers to shift to other feasible and budget-friendly options like InDriver. The major success of InDriver is due to the fact that it allows the customers to ‘bargain’ or set the price themselves. They can select the car, driver, and fare according to their own. These new features have shifted a big chunk of Careem’s clientele to InDriver.
This is a blatant generalisation that since the merger with Uber, Careem has lost its dignity as a company and a noble digital initiative has lost its cause.
Faux Marketing
Many people appreciate the marketing efforts put forward by team Careem as they recruited the best in the business. With catchy copy, unique marketing ploys, and novel PR practices they made a name for Careem in an otherwise hard to crack audience.
One of its notable marketing initiatives was to partner with Women on Wheels and increase female drivers in its workforce. Not only did this generate positive media attention for the company but it generated income opportunities for women. The concept of a woman simply buying a Car For Sale In Lahore and driving it to become financially independent stills seems utopian in Pakistan.
However, Careem has been accused of false false advertising numerous times in the past. Hidden terms and conditions, unethical marketing ploys, and woke advertisements just for the sake of mere publicity.
What Needs To Be Done?
Careem’s technical infrastructure is excellent; it just needs to work on its policies and practices to become the reliable commuting app it once was. It should devise methods to facilitate both drivers and passengers. In order to revive the glory of Careem, the management needs to reevaluate their business actions and how to make things possible for everyone including drivers, passengers, and employees.
