(File photo)Employees work inside Uber's Centre of Excellence (COE) office in Cairo, Egypt October 10, 2017. (Reuters photo)

CAIRO, March 20 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court decided on Tuesday to ban the Uber and Careem taxi services from operating in the country based on a lawsuit filed by a group of traditional taxi drivers, official MENA news agency reported.

The administrative court order came after a group of traditional taxi drivers in Egypt filed a case against the two international companies in February 2017 accusing them of breaking traffic laws by using private vehicles for commercial purposes.

The court ruling can still be appealed before a higher court.

Xinhua reached an official from Uber for a comment but the official, who preferred not to be identified, said the company will release a response as soon as possible.

Uber and Careem have been providing taxi services in Egypt for a few years during which traditional taxi drivers have repeatedly protested the negative impact of the two companies on their work.

The two online-based taxi service companies have recently introduced taxi motorbikes and three-wheeled motorized rickshaws, known as "tuk-tuks," as new services in some areas in the most populous Arab country.