With the rising traffic on the roads by the day, taxi aggregator Uber unveiled its partnership with NASA for developing flying taxis.
Uber and NASA join hands
NASA’s attempt at handling traffic on the roads has been gifted wings by Uber which will now bolster NASA in strengthening its aim named “UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management)”.
These taxis will be automated and will be driven by negligible-manual effort. However, initially, the taxis will have a pilot to fly. These taxis will be priced fairly near to the standard Uber travel rates.
In a notification issued by Uber, it expressed its desire to delve into more new opportunities. It said, “explore other collaboration opportunities with NASA” with a view to open “a new market of urban air mobility.”
Uber gets the first mover advanatage
What’s exciting is the fact that Uber’s entry into the US market by 2020 will help pave way for enough flying taxis by 2028, the year when Los Angeles is hosting Olympic Games.
If reports are to be believed, this collaboration will help Uber run its demonstration flights in a few US cities by 2020.
This initiative will help shorten travel time. Uber’s spokesperson also informed that if the car takes one and half hour to reach Staples Center Area from Los Angeles Airport. However, if the same ride is taken by UberAir, it will take only 27 minutes to reach the destination.
A trail of announcements by Uber
Not only this, Uber has also announced its association with Los Angeles government which will join hands with “UberAir”. This programme is running in Dubai, Dallas among other areas.
The company also clarified rumours which are doing rounds. They said that these vehicles are different from helicopters. They differ on various parameters including safer journey, affordability, and environmental-friendliness.
The vehicles will take off, land and recharge upon a network of “vertiports” installed on top of parking garages, on existing helipads or on unused land around road interchanges.
