US-based ride hailing company Uber has increased their fare prices in Egypt after the country’s price-setting committee slightly hiked fuel prices in April for the first time since the conclusion of the fuel subsidy reforms.

“We had to revise our fare pricing with a slight adjustment in light of the new fuel prices to ensure that drivers continue to have sustainable earnings whilst ensuring that millions of riders can continue to move around cities safely and affordably,” Uber said in an email to users seen by Ahram Online on Monday.

The base fare for an average UberX ride in Cairo has been raised from EGP 7.25 to EGP 7.50, and the EGP 2.70 per kilometer has been increased to EGP 2.85.

For an UberX ride in Alexandria, the new base fare costs EGP 7.25 from EGP 7, with EGP 2.60 per kilometer from the previous EGP 2.50.

The base fare for more luxurious UberSELECT rides is EGP 12.50 from EGP 12, and the price per kilometre is EGP 4.15 from EGP 3.95.

The announcement by Uber comes a few weeks after Egypt’s price-setting fuel committee slightly increased fuel prices for the first time since it was formed in October 2019 after Egypt completed its fuel subsidy reforms.

The prices of 80-octane, 92-octane, and 95-octane fuel were hiked by EGP 0.25 each to EGP 6.25, EGP 7.5, and EGP 8.5 per liter, respectively.

Prices were last increased in July 2019 in its latest round of subsidy cuts under a $12 billion reform package agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund.