KHARTOUM, March 6 (Reuters) – The yellow taxis of Khartoum were once an enduring part of its colonial legacy.
Now the vehicles, introduced in Sudan's capital under British rule in 1937 and last renewed as a fleet in 1978, bear the signs of numerous repairs, their paintwork chipped – and their often elderly drivers wait in vain for customers.
They say they've been left behind by competitors who advertise using unregulated ridehailing apps, and who drive newer cars.
"We've raised generations of children off the back of this taxi. But our taxis are old now," driver Alrasheed Ahmed, who has had his since 1980, told Reuters at one city cab rank with around two dozen vehicles.
[1/4] Khartoum yellow taxis are seen at the General Khartoum Taxi Station in Khartoum, Sudan February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
"And now these app drivers have appeared and they just stick on a TAXI sign. That belongs to us and they're exploiting it," he added, gesturing towards a row of newer cars across the street.
The drivers' struggles mirror Sudan's wider economic decline, they say, with the government unable to finance new cars as fuel costs soar.
Some yellow cab customers remain out of loyalty. "There's no work at all. Some of them come here with a bunch of passengers and could wait until the sun goes down to leave with another… That is why I always ride with them," said one, Abbas Alamin.
But his gesture is a rare one, and even the ridehailing sector's future is far from guaranteed, with many Sudanese now choosing to forgo public transport altogether and rely on hitchhiking instead.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Walt Disney Co sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a federal court to overturn state efforts to exert greater control over the Walt Disney World theme parks.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.
Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology.
The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs.
The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals.
Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile.
Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts.
Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks.
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
© 2023 Reuters. All rights reserved