OREANDA-NEWS. December 04, 2012. Travel agency SmartTravel.lt presents Vilnius citizens and city guests its latest project Smart Taxi. The major part of the initial fleet – hybrid vehicles – was presented at the Mototoja dealership and is to reach the streets next week, reported the press-centre of Vilnius Airport. 

“Finally we can present the first green hybrid taxi in Lithuania to Vilnius citizens and city guests. The new taxi is to supplement the group of smart services provided by the travel agency and shall open up possibilities for new and exceptional carriage services. First of all Smart Taxi project is based on a unique IT system for order management and administration. Our clients will be able to perform and verify their orders online and will be able to see all the information, including the amount paid, etc. That way we ensure full transparency and close relationship between a client and a service provider. Also, we will have the possibility to fully meet each client’s needs and receive feedback", said Head of Avia Travel Services Vytautas Reisas.

Drivers of the new taxi shall have stylish uniforms resembling the ones that aircraft pilots wear. For taking clients’ orders the drivers will be using tablet computers in their cars and radio communication transferred to individual headphones will ensure a pleasant and calm travelling environment to passengers. Each vehicle shall be equipped with a card reader; also, Smart Taxi will be the first to offer a free of charge WiFi internet connection to its clients during each trip.

Taxi orders shall be placed by phone or online. In the future, the company plans to offer a service where a client will have the possibility to order a taxi by sending an SMS or using an application. The rates for travelling by Smart Taxi are as follows: LTL 2.20 per 1 kilometre travelled, user fee – LTL 4. During the first year of activity the company plans to supplement its fleet by 60 modern vehicles operating 24/7 and to create over 200 jobs.

The majority of Smart Taxi fleet shall consist of hybrid cars Toyota Prius. Edmundas Povilauskas, whose company UAB Mototoja is the official Toyota and Lexus representative in Lithuania, is happy that Vilnius will finally have green taxis. “Hybrid vehicles in the Western Europe are rapidly becoming a symbol of the educated and future-aware society. It is great that our streets will be filled with taxi cabs with extremely low CO2 emissions and impressive fuel saving features”, said Mr. Povilauskas.

Vilnius International Airport is also happy about the new development regarding alternative services. “Every day Vilnius International Airport represents the Lithuanian capital to thousands of passengers; that is why we strongly support new high quality services and initiatives. We feel that it is very important that our passengers reach their destinations conveniently and in due time", said Head of Public Relations of the State Enterprise Vilnius International Airport Sandra Siauliene.

UAB Avia Travel Services controls the trademark Smart Taxi and belongs to a group of companies offering travel services which also consists of such companies as the travel agency Smart Travel, safe baggage packing service Smart Pack, baggage storage at Vilnius International Airport Smart Storage and passenger service Meet&Greet.