Taxi in Lithuania: Riding with a Lithuanian-speaking driver will be more expensive 0 43

The author of the initiative, deputy Dalia Asanavičiūtė-Gružauskienė, believes it is a given: "Those who already work in this field need to obtain a certificate of proficiency in the state language. This is the minimum if you want to serve clients in Lithuania."

Her proposal is intended to complement the already adopted law, according to which customer service must be conducted in Lithuanian starting in January.

The TV3 Žinios crew in Vilnius noticed that many taxi drivers do not talk to passengers at all or speak Russian. One driver from Tajikistan admitted that he has been living in Lithuania for 8 months but does not know the state language and does not plan to learn: "I don't have a single Lithuanian friend who could help me learn the language."

Another Tesla driver, when asked what he would do if such a condition came into effect, replied: "Then I would just move to Latvia. There, the rates are different and there are fewer restrictions."

Experienced taxi driver Česlovas does not understand how it is possible to serve clients if there is no opportunity to communicate: "In my opinion, you need to know the language. It is essential!"

Deputy of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Vytautas Sinica supported the idea, emphasizing that knowledge of the state language is a normal requirement for anyone wishing to live and work in Lithuania: "Everywhere in the world there is a state language. It is a given - if you want to be part of society, you must know it."

However, the Social Democrats are calling for caution. The head of the culture committee, Kęstutis Vilkauskas, considers the idea good, but in his opinion, such a step may be too harsh: "We must give people the opportunity to learn first."

Car-sharing platforms, particularly Bolt, oppose such requirements. Company representative Laimonas Jakštis explains that the new rules would be difficult to implement in practice and would negatively affect both drivers and clients: "Such conditions are excessive, impractical, and will create problems for both service providers and users."

Economists, in turn, warn that if foreign drivers leave the market, service prices may rise, as local drivers would have to be paid more.