Rideshare drivers protest for better working conditions

AMMAN — Rideshare drivers on Wednesday staged a protest in Amman, denouncing the deteriorating conditions of ride hailing application captains, and the increase in fuel prices.

Lawrence Rifai, the representative of the Ride-hailing Application Drivers’ Union, said in a statement that was made available on Wednesday, that the union has submitted its demands several times to various government officials. However, ride-hailing application drivers are still facing challenges with banks and are in mounting debt.

“The transport sector needs to be regulated,” he said. Today, there are around 44 unlicensed ride-hailing applications, which have added further pressure on the captains, he concluded.

Mahmoud Najeh, a ride-hailing captain, told The Jordan Times that “things are going from bad to worse, and we definitely do not have job security or benefits”.

Najeh also pointed out that there is no stability in the sector and the latest increase in fuel prices is “truly a punch in the face”.

The strike kicked off in Abdoun Corridor, and hundreds of drivers participated.

The Jordan Times contacted the Ministry of Transport, but they were unavailable for comment.