Ride-hailing drivers in Addis Abeba are increasingly finding themselves on the wrong side of the city’s rapid urban transformation, caught between aggressive corridor development and a regulatory absence that has yet to accommodate app-based mobility.

Drivers operating through platforms such as Feres Transport and Ride face mounting obstacles due to the absence of designated pickup and drop-off areas. City policy bars them from public bus terminals, main roads, and any location where vehicles might congregate, while offering no alternative spaces. The result is a system that exposes drivers to frequent penalties and deep operational uncertainty.

Brief stops in busy neighbourhoods such as Teklehaymanot, Mercato, Megenagna, Betel, Ayer Tena, and Bole Brass can trigger fines of up to 4,000 Br, a burden for many drivers. Without legal stopping zones, violations accumulate quickly. Enforcement has intensified alongside corridor expansion projects, pushing drivers to adopt evasive tactics, lining up discreetly or stopping momentarily wherever possible, often leading to further fines.

Authorities argue these practices disrupt traffic flow and amount to the creation of unauthorised terminals. The city’s current transport policy prioritises mass transit, leaving little room for individual or small-scale operators such as metro taxis.

Last week, the Addis Abeba Traffic Management Authority (AATMA), in coordination with the traffic police, ticketed drivers accused of forming informal gathering points. Officials maintain that these drivers violated traffic rules, even when vehicles were not visibly obstructing traffic. In practice, drivers can be penalised simply for stopping to pick up or drop off passengers.

According to Abera Bayisa, head of traffic enforcement at the Addis Abeba Traffic Police, some drivers have begun lining up at specific locations, mimicking traditional taxi ranks.

“They want to establish their own terminals,” he said. “No one has the right to set up a terminal without government approval.”

Traffic police have been instructed to remove taxis parked outside designated areas, with fines used as a deterrent. According to Abera, enforcement would continue until the city identifies a workable solution. The Traffic Management Authority holds a similar position.

According to Amare Tarekegn, the Traffic Management Authority deputy general manager, the city classifies ride-hailing drivers as private vehicles rather than part of the public transport system.

“We see them as private cars,” he said. “We don’t give them special privileges.”

The ride-hailing ecosystem in Addis Abeba is dense, fast-moving, and opaque. Despite its growth and urban entrenchment, data on the number of drivers or vehicles operating under each platform remains elusive. The number of registered ride-hailing companies reached 44 last year. However, high attrition has since narrowed the active field, with only about 25pc, approximately 10 to 15 companies, maintaining a visible presence on the roads of the capital, where 99pc of the country's ride-hailing traffic is confined.

Firms such as Feres, Ride, Zay Ride, Yango, Little Ethiopia, Seregela, Adika, One Ride, and VIP Taxi form the operational core, while others, such as Easy Ride and ETTA, have limited reach.

Recent reports peg the total number of ride-hailing drivers or vehicles in Addis Abeba between 100,000 and 135,000. Feres claims to have a driver network exceeding 60,000, while Ride, once the undisputed leader, was reported to operate 6,000 vehicles and to have onboarded 42,000 drivers since its founding, a cumulative metric likely inclusive of inactive accounts.

Little Ethiopia’s profile has grown steadily, with a 2025 report putting its registered driver count at 43,000, up from previous estimates of 20,000. Yango, despite its global prominence, provides no Ethiopia-specific data. Smaller platforms remain largely silent on operational scale.

Under the city's current policy, no infrastructure, such as parking spaces or terminals, is allocated to these cars, and access to public transport facilities is restricted. Drivers are left with few legal options for stopping, picking up, or dropping off passengers. While mass transport receives investment and regulatory clarity, app-based services remain sidelined, expected to operate within tight constraints until new permits or regulations are issued.

Drivers who stop in non-designated areas face fines, while those who wait in groups are treated as though they are establishing terminals. Amare disclosed that the Authority is mapping congestion hotspots and designating them as “no-parking” zones, with limited, time-bound permissions occasionally granted in less-congested areas based on traffic flow assessments.