SAIT Revolutionizes Georgian Travel with Its Comprehensive Digital Platform

In an unprecedented move in Georgia's transportation sector, SAIT, a recently launched transport and travel app, now provides users the opportunity to purchase travel tickets on their preferred terms. Additionally, the app facilitates cargo shipping services. Founder and Executive Director, Levan Merebashvili, shared insights into the innovative app in a conversation with BM.GE.

SAIT offers five distinct services for intercity commuting, thereby allowing users to compare travel conditions, prices, companies, and duration. These services encompass shuttle taxis, buses, planes, trains, and private transfers.

"Private transfers primarily encompass three options:

1. The platform enables drivers to register and list their vehicles (be it a minivan, sedan, jeep, marshrutka, or bus) along with their preferred route, time, and total trip cost. We monitor these details in comparison to market prices. Users can then browse through this catalog of registered vehicles and book the vehicle exclusively for themselves or a group.

2. Drivers can register their 'trips' with any vehicle type specifying the route, time, and per-seat price. Users can then browse these registered trips and reserve a seat for themselves or a group.

3. If a user is unable to find a trip or transport that meets their requirements, they have the option to register their request. Our app will calculate the exact price, accept advanced card payment, and find the transport that matches the user's needs. This feature is particularly beneficial for companies, universities, and schools that frequently need to transport large groups for excursions, business trips, or daily work duties," explained Merebashvili.

Presently, the SAIT application is accessible on both IOS and Android platforms, with plans for continuous service diversification.

Merebashvili highlighted, "We have digitally transformed the Didubi bus station for the first time in Georgia and have incorporated it exclusively into our routes section. Additionally, 'Georgian Bus' has been added to our bus section. From June 10th to 15th, Georgian Railways will join the trains section. In the foreseeable future, we plan to introduce sections for airplanes and private transfers. Companies, whether searchable on Google or not, will be consistently added to these sections."

The inspiration for this app emerged from the significant challenges and time-consuming processes associated with intercity travel in Georgia. "We experienced the cumbersome routine involved in moving from one city to another and recognized that this issue is prevalent not just in Georgia and the region, but also in many developing countries. Consequently, we decided to simplify this 15-45 minute routine down to a mere 2 minutes," said Merebashvili.

Future plans for SAIT are ambitious. "We intend to cover all of Georgia, from big cities to small villages. Even now, we offer routes from Tbilisi to small villages. It's a significant challenge to provide routes from all large cities to villages, but we're up for the task," he stated. Merebashvili also mentioned the app's international aspirations. After fully operationalizing all sections and transport companies, SAIT intends to expand into the Caucasus and Central Asia and then explore opportunities in North America and Asia. By 2024, the app plans to introduce a new feature to track and manage cargo shipments, facilitating users in finding and sending various types of cargo easily.