Looking for a taxi in Tunisia can be a struggle, especially during rush hours. Public transport is irregular and untrustworthy and finding a way to move around can be cumbersome.

In the busy city of Tunis, a startup is trying to find a solution to the country’s transport problem. The solution they’ve created is a scooter taxi service paired with its ride-hailing app. IntiGo wants to make it easier for citizens to find efficient means of transport, so it is breaking into the ride-hailing industry. In a country where Uber and Careem does not operate and where there are little to no competitors. It is offering an alternative to hard-to-find taxis.

“We launched taxi scooter because we saw that the biggest obstacle for the Tunisian people is transportation. No matter their social group, age or gender, everyone has a transportation problem.”

Bassem Bouguerra, Founder, IntiGo

The startup is undergoing a trial period but there is already a buzz around IntiGo. Some Tunisians are excited by the idea of the startup, while others less so. Taxi drivers have been vocal about their disapproval of IntiGo, Mohamed Ali Arfaoui, The Tunisian Union of Individual Taxis secretary-general, said that IntiGo will be the downfall of the taxi sector. He even called for the use of violence if necessary.

The service is 30% cheaper than regular taxis, IntiGo claims to be able to get passengers from one place to another quicker than a car due to their ability to get around traffic. The scooters are covered providing some protection from the surrounding environment. To use their services, passengers need to download the app and order a scooter by inputting their location and destination. The app automatically shows the customer the price before the trip is confirmed.

Once IntiGo’s trial period is complete, the plans to distribute some 50 taxi scooters in the cities of Tunis, Ariana, Ben Arous and Manouba. However, the company has a few obstacles in its way.