“The Lithuanian transport sector, as well as the whole world, is vigorously preparing for the practical application of the latest transport technologies and, in a sense, we are standing on the threshold of cardinal changes. Remotely operated vehicles are not a distant future, but an impending reality. That is why we support and commend the Lithuanian businesses that implement the latest technologies in Lithuania rather than somewhere else,” said Minister of Transport and Communications M. Skuodis at the meeting with the CityBee executives.
Remotely operated vehicles, as an advanced mode of transport, are more and more extensively developed in the USA and Western Europe, where they are being widely tested, and in some places, such vehicles are already being used for providing passenger transportation services. Remotely operated vehicles are different from autonomous vehicles as they are remotely controlled by humans using special consoles rather than from the inside of the vehicle. According to the Minister, Lithuania aims to become one of the first countries to have an extensively developed network of remotely operated vehicles in the Baltic Region.
“From the beginning of its activities, the direction of CityBee has been towards innovations. When we were the first ones to present the vehicle sharing service in Lithuania, we received not only support, but also harsh remarks. Despite that, we continued our passionate work and now we are one of the leading companies in the European market of vehicle sharing. However, we want to further improve the service of CityBee, increase its accessibility and contribute to environmental protection even more. We are positive that remote vehicle operation will allow reaching these goals. We are very happy that our partners, as well as the Ministry of Transport and Communications, have similar ideas, and they are openly expressing interest, fascination and willingness to assist us in implementing an advanced technology whose opportunities can be confirmed during the demonstration being prepared for next Friday,” says CEO of CityBee Kristijonas Kaikaris.
Remotely operated vehicles can be successfully applied in the area of passenger and cargo transportation by automating the activities of seaports and airports, reducing traffic congestion in cities and creating workplaces of high added value. In addition, the use of such vehicles could become an additional eco-friendly mobility alternative.
In order to promote and accelerate the development of transport innovations in Lithuania, it is planned to allocate EUR 25 mln. from the Recovery and Resilience Plan by 2026 for the application of innovative solutions in various areas of the transport sector – the intention is to implement a sandbox mode. This regulatory and legal basis and environment would attract start-ups and companies or their consortia engaged in installing and applying transport innovations in different sectors of the country.
