While Uber has changed ground transport in many cities, Sao Paulo’s infernal traffic jams have sparked a new app that opens the sky to commuters.
Voom is a helicopter taxi service that charges according to distance and the passenger’s weight.
It’s a godsend for those in a rush - but only if the weather permits.
Sao Paulo - South America’s biggest city, home to 12 million residents within its municipal limits and millions more in satellite towns - is regularly choked by gargantuan traffic jams.
There are 5.9 million vehicles, or one for every two people. At peak hour, traffic can be backed up as much as 576 km
A new venture launched in April by Europe’s Airbus, Voom has taken a page out of Uber’s marketing manual to put clients above it all - at a competitive price.
The app asks passengers to enter their weight and that of any baggage, then immediately sends the calculated fare.
Using a traditional taxi on the clogged roads would have cost travellers $50 and an hour and a half of frustrating stop-and-go. Choosing the chopper taxi is no-brainer!
