Imagine you are in an unfamiliar city or at an airport and need to take a taxi to get to the city centre or the station. How can you save money on the fare and perhaps find a travel companion?

The people behind Taxinsieme have thought of just that. The service, launched very recently, makes a website available — and above all a smartphone app — to allow people to get around the city quickly but also affordably.

In practice, users can leverage the concept of social networking to share their taxi with others travelling to the same or nearby destinations, thereby splitting the cost.

HOW IT WORKS. Simply download the free app or visit the website. With no registration required, you can search for the route you need using a few parameters, such as departure point, destination or arrival.

The app shows in real time whether any "taxi companions" are available, allowing you to decide whether to share the ride. Once both passengers have agreed to travel together, the app puts them in touch so they can arrange the timing and other details.

At the end of the journey, there is the option to leave feedback — essentially recommending or not recommending a particular user's company. Much like the various car-sharing services available online.

"Taxinsieme is not a threat to taxi drivers and private hire services," stresses one of its founders, Lorenzo Carbone. "It is an opportunity for everyone to expand a saturated market in times of crisis and create the conditions for getting as many users as possible into taxis — saving money and having fun."

The idea was not born to take business away from taxi drivers, but to broaden the pool of people who do not choose this form of transport because it is too expensive. A journey from Malpensa to Milan, for instance, could cost 30 euros instead of 90. With events of the scale of Expo on the horizon, Taxinsieme proves to be an excellent opportunity.