ASIA - CNBC reports that ride-hailing start-up, Grab, aims to enhance urban mobility in Southeast Asia by taking to the skies.
Grab is reportedly in the process of piloting a helicopter service in Indonesia. CEO and Co-Founder, Anthony Tan discussed the strategy with CNBC's Managing Asia.
According to Grab's statement on his website,GrabHeli services (which utilises helicopter rides to navigate around Jakarta), were offered as part of the company's fifth anniversary celebration to selected individuals in Indonesia in June this year. "There are markets where traffic is clearly a problem for the people. Even the governments have shared that it costs the countries billions every year in GDP", said Tan. In this instance, Indonesia is that market.
Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is well known for traffic congestion which reportedly costs the economy 65 trillion rupiah ($4.87 billion) each year. 48 minutes is the average time which communtes of Jakarta spend per day travelling during peak period, according to the TomTom Traffic Index.
Grab's existing GrabBike service targets Jakarta's traffic issue yet a helicopter service is believed to appeal to users seeking a more upscale experience.
We don't disrupt for the sake of disrupting: Grab CEO from CNBC.
Similarly, Cape Town is home to one of the most congested cities and plans to enhance urban mobility are also in the pipeline. Independent Online reported in March that the City of Cape Town has welcomed 6 proposals to complete the city's unfinished freeways.
The proposals follow a call by Mayor and Transport and Urban Development Authority, Patricia De Lille to unleash the potential of the incomplete bridges and associated precinct on the Foreshore. Each of the six proposals had to address Cape Town's traffic dilemma as well as display an affordable housing attribute.