Blacklane Instead of Black Cabs: New Limousine and Chauffeur Service Provides Competition for the Famous London Cab

BERLIN and LONDON, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

London Calling

Anyone travelling by taxi in London City must have time on their hands, as it is always rush hour in the British capital. With more than eight million residents, London is not only the largest city in the European Union, but also the centre of European business traffic. Where time is money, everything hinges on making effective use of travel time: as of now, business people who place value in service, quality, discretion and efficiency have a genuine alternative to the taxi, in the form of Blacklane. Start-up Blacklane provides an exclusive, chauffeured limousine service which can be conveniently booked via the Blacklane app, by telephone or via their website, http://www.blacklane.com. For a standard business class journey of eleven kilometres and more, the fare is just below regular taxi rates. Alongside this kilometre-based fixed price, journeys can also be charged at an hourly rate. Tips, a 15-minute waiting time, ordering and credit card fees as well as traffic-related detours are already calculated into the price. Thus, even a journey via Piccadilly Circus is no reason to fear.

"We began nine months ago in Berlin and now operate in 19 European cities. With our launch in London we are approaching our goal of linking the major European cities and offering business travellers a genuine, door-to-door European service with Blacklane," explained Dr. Jens Wohltorf, Founder and Managing Director of Blacklane. The company does not possess its own fleet of vehicles, but rather, acting as a head office for limousine services, makes use of a high-quality network of local limousine service companies. Blacklane is an additional sales channel for these companies, and an attractive opportunity for them to optimise the utilisation of their vehicles.

Customers choose from three exclusive vehicle categories (no stretch limousines): Business Class (e.g. Mercedes E-Class), Business Van (e.g. Mercedes Viano) and First Class (e.g. Mercedes S-Class). In London, Blacklane is currently cooperating with 25 chauffeur companies. In total, the company pools together around 300 individual companies in England, France, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, with more than 500 vehicles available from a single source. "We work in close partnership with local limousine service providers, bringing additional business rather than generating competition," emphasised Frank Steuer, also Blacklane Founder and Managing Director. "So far we - but most importantly our passengers - have had a very positive experience with this model and we are sure that we will also establish ourselves quickly in London."

Blacklane's goal is to take individual tourist transport to a new level of quality, at very attractive conditions.

About Blacklane

Blacklane GmbH, with headquarters in Berlin, provides private and business customers with a mobile booking service for high quality chauffeur and limousine services, with transparent and attractive conditions. Bookings are placed via their website, the app or by telephone. Acting as a head office for limousine services, Blacklane does not possess its own vehicles but rather makes use of the free capacities of existing providers and thus ensures that they are better utilised. Customers benefit from comfortable journeys at inexpensive fixed prices. The company currently employs more than 50 members of staff. Further information can be found at http://www.blacklane.com

Press Contact
Kristoff Köpke
Blacklane GmbH
Tel. +49(0)30-2016-3011
Email: kristoff.koepke@blacklane.com

Saskia Schauer
Hoschke & Consorten Public Relations GmbH
Tel. +49-(0)40-369050-57
Email: s.schauer@hoschke.de