This is really true that the technology can do lots of good and lots of bad but does not want to do any good or any bad but it takes human beings to use it for good or worse. Fast forwarding to, there is no way someone does not know why the uber or Careem were needed in Pakistan, the answer is right there. So heads, up there is an obvious answer and than there is something more to it.
Obvious is the unregulated cab market of Pakistan, where all the cabbies were free to charge you whatever they want. So when the private transport is not available people had no other option but to accept the highly unjustifiable fares called out by those cabbies or taxi drivers. Or travel in public transport, which is on its lowest point in terms of all aspects of it. The vehicle quality, the time it takes to travel from point A to point B and suffering etc, no heating or cooling in vehicles and lots more. Oh, we are drifting away, back to cabs. So those cabbies calling their own prices, for the worst ride and with no other option available to travelers, today believe me, when your own private transport is not available, the Careem and Uber are heaven.
What you get by traveling in them are, standardized fairs, good traveling conditions, the heating and cooling, much better cars. Ease of calling cab from wherever you are, without the hassle of thinking of getting out and searching of one. It is win win situation.
There is an reason I have mentioned the tech on start, oh I am not talking about the obvious one, the other one, which is regulating the normal cabs was the responsibility of government, they have to regulate their condition and fair too. But they failed but somehow, now tech or technology have filled in, now we are no more dependent on government, process is now lead by tech. Tech have now implemented the price regulation and those high price calling cabbies are being forced to get down to reasonable fairs.
Good thing for those old cabbies is they can register their own same old cabs with the new Careem and Uber, and still be on work, but in a way which forces them to charge reasonably. Most of them were just drivers who did not owned those old taxis, so i am seeing the shift, some of them moving towards driving new cars, instead of rotten old FX and Mehran right from the stone age.
Even the Investors/owners of those old vehicles will ultimately opt-in to purchase better vehicles and do away with those very old cars from 70s and 80s. So we are seeing the shift which resulted in betterment in overall cab market. There is good for all in it, the investors, the drivers and the travelers.
Specially, most amazing aspect is, where government failed to regularize the fairs for whatever reason, the technology not only just did that but resulted in better travel conditions for the travelers.
Its funny how I have been calling the names of Careem and Uber together above, they are after all competitors, but the thing is the arrival of these ride hailing services is Pakistan shaped things for better, for everyone.
Now that they have lessened the burden of government, by standardizing the things from ride booking to fair calculation and regularization, I strongly hope that government does not try stop them but they are welcome to set up the rules and regulations necessary.
Careem, Uber and any future ride hailing services, you are welcome in Pakistan. Thumbs Up. And at the end of it this not, NOT by any chance the paid content, this is what my heart genuinely feel about these new kind of services.