Reading week is just around the corner and if you are anything like me, you’ve probably been planning it since the first day of winter semester (I’m currently going through a major case of senioritis). Whether you are flying or catching the bus to your destination, the process of actually getting to the airport or the bus station is another annoying – and often the last – detail of your trip to plan. On top of that, at least for me, my indecisiveness always gets in the way: I find myself asking questions like, “Should I take the metro or the bus?”, “Do I even have enough time?, “Do I really want to haul my over-sized luggage around?”. Until I eventually decide on taking the taxi. But wait a taxi or an Uber? (a question of morals?) Well, I say neither. Instead take Téo Taxi, a new kind of environmentally-friendly taxi developed and designed in Quebec and only available in Montreal.
There are of course many instances when we need to take a taxi, especially for students who don’t own cars or those who just want to have a good, safe night out in the city without having to drive – and also for those who are less accustomed to public transportation. Here are several features of Téo (Transport Écologique Optimisé) Taxi that might persuade you to take a ride in their green, electric cars.
- Eco-friendly
Téo Taxi is Montreal’s first fully electric taxi fleet, with 100% electric cars ranging in style from Kia Soul, Nissan Leaf, and Tesla. According to CBC news, Quebec represents about 11% of the country’s total Greenhouse gas emissions, of which about 33% is contributed by road transportation. This means taking an electric car over an ordinary automobile will help to greatly reduce Quebec’s GHG emissions and have a beneficial impact on the environment by reducing your carbon footprint.
- Awesome service
As soon as you get on board, your friendly driver will offer you complimentary services like bottled water, chocolate and even free wi-fi! Plus, the cars are super roomy and modern (some even have tablets installed behind the front seats for entertainment) so you get to lay back and just enjoy the ride squish-free with a free chocolate in one hand and bottled water in the other. Their services are also offered at the Montreal-Trudeau airport; their drop-off zone is at Gate 6 on the departure level where a company representive can assist you. You’ll get to enjoy a comfortable ride to the airport or back home in a fancy Tesla at the same fixed price as a taxi: $40 from downtown to the airport. You can easily download the mobile app from their website with its easy automatic mobile payment method, a live map, notifications and information about your driver, etc.
- Safe and fair
Téo Taxi is similar to Uber in many aspects, with its mobile app and the many conveninent features that tag along with it; however, one advantage is that it doesn’t use surge pricing. They differ from Uber in many other ways as well, in that the company actually owns taxi permits for the cars and the drivers are often professional drivers with plenty years of experience (My driver had been a professional driver for 18 years): driving you safely to your destinations with both qualifications and valid identification.
(Their coverage area)
Neighbourhoods covered: Saint-Laurent (south of Autoroute 40), Côte-Saint-Luc, TMR, Villeray-Saint-Michel–Parc Extension (south of Autoroute 40), Montreal West, Côte-des-Neiges–NDG, Outremont, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Westmount, Ville-Marie, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (à l’ouest de l’automne 25), LaSalle, Le Sud-Ouest, Verdun, Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Île Notre-Dame, Île Sainte-Hélène.
Boundaries: St. Lawrence River, Autoroute 25, the boundary of Saint-Léonard, Autoroute 40, Hymus Boulevard, Saint-Laurent (north of Autoroute 40), the boundary of Côte Saint-Luc, the boundary of Montreal West.
Each one of us has the right to be safe and comfortable whether we are traveling or just getting from one place to another. Téo Taxi can offer that, so why not treat yourself and be eco-friendly at the same time? It’s only available in Montreal for now so test it out and see for yourself.
Happy travels everyone!
Cover image obtained from: http://images.dailyhive.com/20160607091802/teo1.jpg
Information obtained from: http://theecoguide.org/teo-taxi-electric-revolution-montreals-taxis