Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas inaugurated A-Taxi cab service in Lahore earlier yesterday.
Albayrak Group has launched the service with a fleet of 100 cabs, Albayrak Deputy Managing Director Ahmet Yildirim told the media
He said the cabs were equipped with an automated fare collection system. “There will be no need to negotiate the fare. We’ve set the tariff for the first three kilometers of the journey at Rs120. For the rest of the journey, every kilometre would be charged at Rs35,” he said.
Yildirim said the cabs were equipped with global positioning system (GPS) devices to enable around the clock monitoring of their location. He said this would ensure security of the vehicles and the passengers. He said call and data centres had already been established for customer support.
A smart phone application developed for the cab service could be used to book rides, he added.
Yildirim said a decision on whether or not to expand operations to other cities would be taken in view of market demand and customer feedback.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Albayrak Board of Directors (BoD) member Mustafa Albayrak expressed praise for the provincial government for enabling economic development in the province. He said his company was committed to bringing Pakistan’s public transport system at par with international standards. “We have not entered the Pakistani market just as a business venture. We’ve made a sincere effort to invest in the welfare of Pakistani citizens,” he said.
Albayrak said his company was playing an important role in strengthening economic and cultural ties between Turkey and Pakistan.
Other Albayrak BoD members present at the occasion was Noori Albayrak. Country Head Bunyamin Karaca and Project Coordinator Bahri Tursakoz also attended the ceremony.
