You can now steer through the rivers in SeaBubbles. Well only if you are in Paris this summer when the company tests out its flying water taxis in the waters of River Seine. It is an Uber for rivers in which five people can hop in for a refreshing and environment-friendly ride at lower fares.
French yachtsman Alain Thébault and Swedish windsurfer Anders Bringdal designed the futuristic egg-shaped vehicle. The water vessel is made with fiberglass and high-density foam. Wings underneath the surface of the vehicle are submerged underwater which make the vessel appear to be afloat 2-feet above the water surface. The SeaBubble has a range of 50 to 62 miles and a top speed of about 20 miles and hour. The company claims the vehicle is silent and does not generate waves even at the top speed.
The solar powered water taxis are meant to reduce pollution in the current situation of rapid urbanization. The company predicts that 75% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050. Environment-friendly transport alternatives are the need of the day. Special docks will be made along the river banks where passengers can dock the water taxis. Four people along with a driver can fit in the vessel with fares that are comparable to that of other taxi-hailing services like Uber. It may in future be hailed similarly with an app.
The Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who had helped the startup rise to its feet said, “I really believe in the development of river transport. Most of the world’s big cities were built on riverbanks, an advantage we have to use to reduce our reliance on polluting cars.”
We are excited to see the flying water taxis cruising the Seine River in Paris this summers.