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Social Tahi, Lithuania, Source: Social Taxi

Social taxi to start rolling in Utena

Social taxi to start rolling in Utena

The service ensures safe and comfortable travel for people with disabilities in Lithuania

Social Taxi, a company which caters to the transportation needs of people with disabilities in Lithuania, is starting its activities in Utena on 4 March, the municipality has announced. 

Noting that the service is expanding rapidly to more and more places, Solveiga Ratkevičiūtė, head of Social Taxi, is quick to point out that the service is not just about transporting people with disabilities. It is about getting home, carrying things, escorting and everything that guarantees the autonomy and independence of a person with a disability, says Ratkevičiūtė.

This service is available 24 hours a day for people with various impairments who need to reach places of economic and social employment (work, hospital, university, cinema, theater, shop, airport). Currently, Social Taxi serves 3158 customers, and in 2020 the service will be provided in 9 locations in Lithuania: Vilnius city and region, Klaipėda city and region, Panevėžys, Ukmergė, Utena, Zarasai and Visaginas.

Specially trained drivers

According to Solveiga Ratkevičiūtė, for 8 years now Social Taxi has been inviting people with disabilities to participate in various actions and events, and more and more of them are being transported and accompanied to work, study and non-formal education activities. 

However, urban infrastructure is not able to comform to the growing needs of people with disabilities. As a result, they face many challenges, ranging from moving a person with reduced mobility down a staircase to the orientation of a visually impaired person in unfamiliar surroundings.  

To remedy this problem, social taxi drivers undergo special training. With the help of special lowering and lifting equipment they can safely get people up and down apartment blocks that lack disabled access. They also know how to respond to a client’s health emergency and provide support for people with communication disabilities.

People with disabilities can register for their first trip on the Social Taxi website, or by calling +370 687 44001.

 

 

 

 

 

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