A challenging time for passenger carriers: Vilnius residents are surprised by the sudden rise in prices and a shortage of drivers even during off-peak hours.

See extremely high prices

Delphi Readers have noted that there have recently been problems with passenger services in the capital. There are driver shortages, long car waits, and high prices, even off-peak.

Various operator reviews can also be found on the social network Facebook. Here, the Vilnius resident was shocked to learn of that around 10 o’clock. In the morning, his trip from the old town to Technopolis in Žirmūnai cost him almost 10 euros. He also noted that for a couple of months there is no way to call the cheapest economy cars, even during off-peak hours.

The same trip was for another passenger who was traveling from Fabijoniškės to Lazdynai during the day. He pointed out that he used to pay about 6 euros for the same distance, and at night, when the rate is usually double.

Another Vilnius resident says his trip from Šnipiškės to Justiniškės cost 13 euros. It took 18 minutes to travel on the aircraft carrier, and the trolley bus covered the same distance in 22 minutes.

Finding free cars is almost impossible

Several Facebook users complained not only about the prices, but also about the ability to call the driver. The man says that he has been using Uber’s services for several years, but lately he has been horrified: he has to wait 10 minutes for the app to find the car, but it immediately indicates that there are no drivers available. Then it remains to call Bolt for double the price.

A woman was almost late to the plane because on Sunday around 5pm I tried to call a Bolt car for about half an hour in the morning, and they also called the regular taxi companies, but to no avail.

Others complained that due to the limited time of the bars, it was not possible to return home from the center of Vilnius at midnight, as most wanted to stay until the end.

Set a record in May

All Delphi the passenger companies in question note the increase in demand. Andrius Pacevičius, Bolt’s head in Lithuania, says the May indicators have already returned to the pre-pandemic level.

“Obviously, with the launch of the quarantine, the population is becoming increasingly mobile, especially in large cities. In May, we recorded near-record demand for transportation services: the number of orders through the Bolt platform was the highest since the beginning of last year.

Compared to April, travel increased 10 percent in May. more, and compared to January this year, up to 40 percent. more. May also became the second busiest month since the start of Bolt’s operations in Lithuania, ”says the director of Bolt.

Challenges about Eurovision

Andrius Norkaitis, head of another eTaksi provider that provides transport services, estimates that in May, compared to April, the number of calls in Vilnius suddenly increased by more than 30%, and the growth was notable in other cities in the country.

“We really feel a greater demand for our services. This is influenced by the loosening of the quarantine, people can already visit cafes, outdoor events, go to guests, good weather also encourages them to move more.

In summer, if the situation with the virus improves, we expect even greater growth. We saw similar trends last summer: after a difficult first quarantine in June-August. The entire passenger transport sector experienced a recovery, but in autumn, with the reintroduction of quarantine, the numbers decreased ”, comments A. Norkaitis.

He mentioned that the highest demand for travel was recorded during the “Eurovision” competition: the night of the “Eurovision” final became the second New Year, during which the highest passenger movement occurs and we receive the highest demand from our services. As the New Year was quiet this year due to pandemic restrictions, the large influx of orders during the Eurovision Song Contest came as a surprise to us and reminded us of the New Year. “

In some places prices have been reduced

The taxi company Etransport, with the arrival of summer and the launch of the quarantine, also experienced higher orders. It is said that not only the number of orders, but also the number of drivers on the platform is constantly growing; more of them are switching from other taxi companies.

“Car registrations take place at peak times and at the end of cafes and bars. People who miss out on these times are trying to make the most of it, and this is especially reflected in the number of orders,” Etransport commented.

The taxi company notes that travel rates do not vary based on the number of reservations, the time of day or the day of the week. How they are different from carriers.

“Our company has not raised prices for years, we offer low prices. In some cities prices have been reduced, taking into account the particularities of the city and competitive conditions,” says the company.

Looking for ways to make prices less responsive to demand

Noting that the majority of Vilnius residents who use transport services mentioned the price increase applied by Bolt, Bolt’s manager explains that the price of the trip is dynamic, so it depends on the demand in real time and the number of drivers, and the platform did not increase. or you intend to increase base rates.

“We are intensively looking for optimal ways to make prices for customers less sensitive to increased demand and for passengers to arrive as soon as possible,” says A. Pacevičius.

According to him, it is difficult to name a specific number of drivers at the moment, because the situation changes daily, depending on the decision of the carriers themselves to go to the city streets: they themselves choose their driving time. The interlocutor adds that the number of drivers constantly increases after the quarantine is relaxed, since the number of those who have stopped working due to the risk of the return of the coronavirus is returning.

“Seeing the growing demand, we strongly invite drivers to join, for whom this can be a great opportunity to make a solid living. It was in May that we recorded a record income for Bolt carriers – in the largest cities. of the country, averaged up to 14 euros per hour ”, says the director of Bolt.

Not everyone has made it back to work yet.

The eTaksi manager assures that he did not change his prices for customers during the first or second quarantine. In addition, part of the money paid by customers for the trip was used by the company to transport volunteers and seniors from COVID-19. According to A. Norkaitis, the waiting time for a car depends on the number of drivers and orders working and can vary from one minute to several or more.

“Usually the hardest thing to call a car can be during peak hours, when people are going to and from work, not during quarantine, on weekend nights,” he says.

The interviewee says that some drivers who did not work during the pandemic for safety or other reasons have not yet managed to return to work, so they are waiting for them to return.

“Although we have one of the largest driver networks in the country, the recovering industry and the growing number of calls are encouraging us to look for new drivers. Of course, competition for drivers in the passenger transport industry is fierce as well. Some drivers who did not work during the pandemic for safety or other reasons have not yet returned to work, so we hope that increased demand and the improvement in the situation will encourage them to get behind the wheel again, ”says A. Norkaitis.