Uber offers free rides to the polls during Jordan’s election

Despite the shaky legal footing of the mobile app Uber in Jordan, the company has paired up with the Independent Election Committee to provide free rides to Jordanians who are headed to polling stations on September 20.

Using a code posted on Uber’s official website, anyone on their way to vote is entitled to two free rides while the polls are open in the Jordanian capital. The rides are limited to 7 Jordanian dinars (just under $10 USD) each way, and after the elections the service will resume its normal functions.

Uber hasn’t had the easiest time in Jordan. Though it is used frequently in the Jordanian capital, the government has taken legal measures against the taxi service. Specifically, Uber drivers lack the prerequisite taxi license necessary to operate as a chauffeur in Jordan and can face fines or have their cars impounded if they are found to be working without a license.

In other Middle Eastern nations Uber has had better luck. In Cairo, it is a popular service for locals and tourists alike, and in Saudi Arabia the government plans to invest $3.5 billion into Uber. For a country where women are forbidden from driving and must use drivers to move from place to place, the service is widely used in the Kingdom. It is expected to create approximately 100,000 jobs in Saudi Arabia over an unspecified amount of time during next few years.