Philip Morris International And Taxi Companies Launch IQOS-friendly Service, Smoke-free Alternatives Available in Cars

Philip Morris International and taxi companies launch IQOS-friendly service, smoke-free alternatives available in cars

The first batch of IQOS-friendly taxis were launched in Prague, Czech Republic, by Czech company Svez.se in cooperation with Philip Morris Czech, allowing passengers to use smoke-free alternatives in the car and providing dedicated charging and waste disposal facilities.

According to Praguemorning on June 24, the startup Svez.se and Philip Morris Czech (Philip Morris ČR) have launched an IQOS-friendly taxi service in Prague.

Customers can book this IQOS-friendly taxi by simply downloading the Svez.se app on the App Store or Google Play. In addition to choosing the model and payment method, users can request an IQOS-friendly vehicle through the app.

These vehicles have a label and a smoke-free icon that says "Here you can enjoy smoke-free products". The car is equipped with a container for used cartridges, a charger for IQOS devices, etc.

Svez.se was founded by former Czech Republic rowing representatives Jakub Paroulek and Kornel Altman, whose startup aims to offer a ride-hailing service with fixed prices and 24-hour phone support.

Paroulek said,

"Only professional drivers drive for our service and we know how important it is to get to know them personally. This close connection helped us understand that many of our customers who use IQOS often ask if they can use these smoke-free alternatives while driving. Since we always innovate based on customer feedback, we decided to become the first company in the Czech Republic to allow the use of smoke-free alternatives in the car."

This innovation is the result of a collaboration between Svez.se and Philip Morris ČR, which have signed a joint memorandum of understanding.

Fabio Costa, CEO of Philip Morris Czech, said,

"Our partnership with Svez.se allows us to further expand our services for users of our smoke-free alternatives. We value the trust of more than 500,000 adult smokers in the Czech Republic who have turned to these alternatives and are committed to providing quality services."

In the Czech Republic, smoking is prohibited in public places including restaurants, bars, cafes and public transportation stations, and this ban officially came into effect on May 31, 2017. This means that smoking is also prohibited in ordinary taxis. However, certain specific services may allow the use of smoke-free alternatives, such as IQOS, which does not involve burning tobacco, but only heats it, thus avoiding the smoke and odor problems associated with traditional smoking.