Uber Ridesharing Pilot Launched in Vilnius

Today Uber announces the launch of a ridesharing pilot in Vilnius. 

Ridesharing is about getting more people into fewer cars and has a number of different benefits to cities including, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Uber and the Municipality of Vilnius:

- The Environment - less car trips means less traffic and less pollution

- Transportation - as complementing public transport

- Consumer Choice - especially for those who do not own a car

- Safety - in particular to reduce rates of drink driving

- Economic Benefits - flexible economic opportunities and new tax revenues

Uber uses a smartphone app - available on all iOS and Android smartphones - to connect people wanting to get somewhere with a driver offering a ride. The app uses GPS-enabled maps to find the closest available driver, usually just minutes away.

Once requested, the rider sees the driver’s photo, their name and the car registration and can watch on their smartphone as the vehicle arrives in real-time. The app notifies the rider when their driver has arrived, so long gone are the days of waiting outside in the cold.

Every driver-partner on the Uber platform in Vilnius has passed a rigorous criminal background and driving record check, holds a driver’s license (not less than two years’ driving experience). Their vehicle will be no older than ten years, must have four doors, clean and in good mechanical condition.

During the trip, riders can share their estimated time of arrival or a live map with friends or loved ones who can track their progress and know when to expect them. And at the end of the journey, the trip is completely cashless, with payment automatically made through app using a credit card linked to the user’s account meaning there’s no worrying about carrying enough cash.

At the end of every trip a summary is automatically emailed to the rider which includes a breakdown of the fare, details of the driver and an overview of the exact route taken. These features provide increased safety as well as unprecedented convenience.

Vytautas Černiauskas, Uber Lithuania operations manager said: “Ridesharing can really help this amazing city by getting more people into fewer cars. We’ve already been overwhelmed by the number of people who want to get involved in this pilot project and look forward to working with local and national authorities to share our results.”

The first to use Uber in Lithuania was Beata Tiškevič, TV host and activist, said “I really enjoyed my first Uber journey which was fast, comfortable and safe. Since I do not drive a car myself, I will definitely use this service in the future. Surely I won’t miss the opportunity to talk with drivers because I am interested in what they do. I really admire the idea of Uber and I think that there will be a lot of people in Vilnius who will love this new service. “    

Celebrating the launch of Uber in Vilnius 5 free trips are given to all Uber users this weekend! Each trip may cost up to 20 € and total price of all trips may be up to 100 €! Promotion is valid between 10AM 19th of November and 10PM at 22nd of November. To use promotion you just need to open Uber and start your journey.

The first few weeks there may be limited availability of cars. Do not worry, we will work extra hard in order to get more Ubers on the roads. If the service is crowded, try again in a few minutes and make sure you shoot us an email at [email protected] and leave us your feedback.

More information on Uber can be found on our city page for Vilnius www.uber.com/vilnius

For more information on ridesharing and inefficient use of private vehicles:

Copenhagen Economics - “Economic benefits of peer-to-peer transport services”

European Environment Agency - "Occupancy rates of passenger vehicles"

Temple University - “An Empirical Investigation of Ride Sharing and Alcohol Related Motor Vehicle Homicide”