Parisians will soon have the opportunity to glide down rivers in flying water taxis to get around the city. SeaBubbles, a company creating flying water taxis, will debut their innovative mode of green transportation in Paris this summer on the River Seine. Instead of riding in polluting road vehicles, up to five people can hop aboard a SeaBubble and pay rather low fares – think Uber, but for rivers.
SeaBubbles is pioneering the environmentally friendly transportation of the future with their flying water taxis, which are equipped with a battery driven propulsion system. Wings submerged below a waterway’s surface allow the vehicle, designed by Alain Thébault and Anders Bringdal, to appear as if it’s flying – and even at full speed the company says a SeaBubble doesn’t generate waves. The water taxis are silent, with around a 50 to 62 mile range, and can glide atop the Seine at speeds of almost 20 miles per hour.
People will be able to climb aboard a SeaBubble via special docks along the river, and four people plus a driver will be able to travel inside. Prices comparable to Uber could make this eco-friendly option an affordable one as well.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo is all for SeaBubbles. She 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.”
