Careem launches manual booking rides after Pakistan blocks internet

In light of the suspension of mobile internet services across Pakistan, the ride-hailing app Careem has shifted to an alternate mode and introduced manual booking rides. It has launched three helplines for its customer base in Karachi.

In a statement, the ride-hailing app said: “This manual booking option is aimed at catering to critical movement primarily for educational institutions, hospitals, healthcare institutions and airport rides.”

Customers based in Karachi can pre-book a ride 90 minutes in advance by sending a text message (SMS), or a message/voice note on Whatsapp containing their formal request — registered name and phone number on which Careem account is made along with the pickup and drop off location details on these numbers; +92-301-2442-739, +92-320-3581-584, +92-326-3703-258).

“The manual-booking rides are cash based only to ensure a smooth experience since digital payments are also being hindered by the suspension of mobile internet services,” the statement mentioned.

The company said this is a limited-time service and will be operational only until the mobile internet service resumes.

The government suspended internet services on May 9 after violent protests broke out in the country after the law enforcers took Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan into custody from inside the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

However, hopes have emerged that the services may be restored following his release as the IHC has granted him blanket relief in multiple cases.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah — before Khan’s release — said that the internet services in the country will remain suspended till the people who burned the houses and caused damage to public property are caught.

The minister, in providing a rationale for blocking the services, said: “Their entire work is done on the internet including the planning and the abuse, all of it is done on social media."

Amnesty International has also urged Pakistan authorities to lift restrictions on the internet services.

Due to the ban, point-of-sale transactions routed through Pakistan's main digital payment systems fell by around 50%, while the information technology (IT) sector is expected to suffer losses worth $3-$4 million every day.

The internet suspension has resulted in an approximate revenue loss of Rs820 million for telecom operators, reports have suggested, a huge dent to the sector, as the economy remains in a fragile state.

Besides, the government has also blocked major social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook, while YouTube services are slower to control the spread of disinformation and panic among the masses due to the spread of “unwanted information”.