Boats First, Helicopters Next – Lagos May Soon See Uber Helicopter Taxis As Governor Gives Hint

Last week, the American app-enabled taxi company, Uber, launched a boat taxi service in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, in partnership with the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and local boat operator, Texas Connection Ferries.

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu attended the launch and he even took the boat on a maiden ride while talking up the city’s large population and small land area, as well as the importance of the waterways to solving the notorious traffic problem in Lagos.

Coming hot on the heels of that successful launch, the Governor is now hinting at helicopter taxis.

Speaking on the state’s future transport plans, Sanwo-Olu said “We are going to have helicopter shuttle in Lagos. Traffic management and transportation is the pillar of our agenda. The government is entering into the partnership because they want to create an enabling environment for all’’.

He said his administration is committed to easing the movement of goods and services within the metropolis to move the economy of the state forward.

Sanwo-Olu also pointed out that the state government is equally committed to other modes of transportation in Lagos, adding that water transportation has come to stay in the state and air transport would eventually see some activity.

Sanwo-Olu who narrated how he mooted the idea of boat transport when he was in the United States few months ago with the top management of Uber, said the initiative will further make the movement of about 10 million to 12 million people that are moved from one place to the other in Lagos State.

At last week’s boat service launch, Lola Kassim, General Manager West Africa at Uber, said that Uber is aware of the strong commitment and vision of the Lagos State Government commitments to improving transportation and that is why they are partnering with the state.

“It is an exciting day for Uber in Nigeria. We have helped people to get around their cities reliably in the last 5 years. We know that Lagos has an extremely strong vision to improve transportation. This is why we have been taking steps to partner with the state government to see how we can offer easy transportation. I announce our Uber Boat. This for us is to see how we can use our Uber Technology to help people move from one place to the other”. Kassim said.

Featured Image Courtesy: TheYesNG