Uber is now using boats to beat India's terrible traffic

In an ever-evolving world where are no limits to innovation, ideas, and technology advancement, transportation companies like Uber are thinking outside the box to make everyone comfortable and reach their destination on time and in comfort.

Lagos being the heartbeat of Nigeria and West Africa has been battling with traffic, with a population of about 21million people, the city is groaning under the pressure of traffic jams and over-population. Mumbai is India's capital city and has same challenges as Lagos in terms of traffic and transportation and UBER seems to have a way to decipher this, the "Uber Boats".

Uber is offering a new way to beat traffic jams in one of the world's most congested cities — speedboats.

The ride-hailing company launched its Uber Boat service in India's financial capital, Mumbai, on Sunday. Uber customers can now book boats between three destinations on the city's waterfront.

Rides start at 5,700 rupees ($80) for a six or eight-seater boat and go up to 9,500 rupees ($132) for larger vessels that can accommodate 10 riders. The company will only accept bookings for an entire boat, not individual seats.

"Uber's vision is to create a multi-modal platform to better serve riders and the cities we operate in," Prabhjeet Singh, the company's head of cities for India, said in a statement.

"With Uber Boat, we will tap the vast potential of the city's waterways transport system," he added.
Mumbai is the first city in India — Uber's biggest market in Asia — to get the boat service. Uber Boat already operates in Croatia and Turkey, and the company has previously offered the service temporarily in cities like Baltimore, Boston, Cairo, Kiev and for the Cannes film festival in France.

The program in Mumbai launched this week on a pilot basis but will be expanded in the coming weeks, a company spokesperson told CNN.

Source:
CNN

This Boat Runs on Electric and Solar Energy - Photos

Vik Boats has developed an eco-friendly boat concept that uses economical electric motors and batteries. Thanks to today’s technology, it is possible to transfer pleasure boat to electric traction, resulting in a green boat that is free from noise and exhaust gas. The batteries can be recharged by solar energy and wind power. The hull is specially designed to move in an economical displacement mode, in this way, it creates an energy-efficient and silent mode of movement, the ship won’t lose energy to the formation of waves.

On the boat, you’ll find a kitchen, control post, a table with seats that can be transformed into a bed for two. That circular glazing offers great visibility for the steersman. There’s special access to the outer deck that allows mooring operations, even when you drive the boat alone. During cold or hot weather, you can install an optional heater or air conditioner, in addition to the salon, this boat has a spacious bow cabin and WC with shower cabin. On the stern, there’s an open cockpit with seats and sunbathing platform.

This electric boat from Vik Boats is also equipped with a lifting device on the mast, it allows for easy operation when working with an auxiliary boat or a jet ski. It helps you to load a heavy load onto the cockpit when necessary. The underwater part of the vessel has been designed for possible landing on the ground with protected propeller and rudder to prevent hitting the bottom or submerged objects. There are strong side fins that reduce pitching and serve as protection for the hull.

Vik Boats is optimized for cruising speed, it has enough power to overcome strong winds and high waves. Just in case due to weather conditions, this boat is also equipped with a small diesel generator as a backup energy source. This concept is still work in progress, the company continues to work to increase this boat’s energy efficiency.

PEUGEOT and BENETEAU present the Sea Drive Concept Boat

Sea Drive Concept Boat is the result of cooperation between Peugeot and BENETEAU. It’s built around the iconic and successful Peugeot i-Cockpit, this time, this highly functional and ergonomic control panel will be connected to Ship Control Technology developed by BENETEAU. What you get is the best combination of both worlds, a beautiful boat with the next generation steering station.

The characteristics of i-Cockpit are highly visible at first glance, it offers you compact steering wheel just like cars. also, just like most recent Peugeot vehicles, the compact size makes it easy and agiler to handle. There’s a large 17-inch touchscreen display for immediate access to the boat’s electronic functions. The folding panel displays essential navigational information, there are toggle switches on either side of the wheel to give the captain direct access to main functions.