Grab may offer rides on helicopters in Jakarta

This article is more than 12 months old

Jun 13, 2017 06:00 am

JAKARTA: Indonesian executives weary of Jakarta's notorious traffic jams may in future be able to order a helicopter ride with their smartphones through a new service being considered by ride-hailing firm Grab.

The company conducted a trial run of GrabHeli at the weekend, offering free rides to some customers over the megacity that is home to 10 million inhabitants and some of the world's worst gridlock.

Grab already operates popular services in Indonesia, with its app allowing users to hail rides in private cars or on motorbike taxis.

It is locked in fierce competition with local ride-hailing startup Go-Jek and US company Uber for market share.

Mr Mediko Azwar, Grab Indonesia's marketing director, told AFP the company was "exploring the possibility" of launching GrabHeli on a commercial basis and a feasibility study was being carried out.

"We see that the public need is there, there are executives who need to move from one point to another in a short period of time," he added. - AFP