Paris considered the idea of taxi driving across the city

The idea of a taxi on the river to pick up guests in major cities of the world is getting closer to reality in Paris, France.

French company SeaBubbles is betting on the future of river taxi services in a bid to change its transportation system and reduce traffic congestion, Reuters reported on Aug. 24.

Taxi on the SeaBubbles at the port of Saint-Tropez, France on August 18. (Photo: Reuters)

Entrepreneur Alain Thebault conducts trials on the Seine using a vehicle called the SeaBubbles . He broke a world speedboat record in 2009 with SeaBubbles and led it to turn the design into a river taxi service for major cities.

SeaBubbles operates on the same Uber-like mobile application model, charging at the port and saving battery power thanks to the specialized unit that floats and glides on the water at speeds of up to 12 km / h. Five other major cities have shown interest in taxis, not noise, and do not emit CO ₂ emissions, according to Thebault.

The idea has been praised by President Emmanuel Macron during his time as economics minister. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo in June also expressed support for the project. However, Thebault needed Paris to raise the speed limit on the Seine so SeaBubbles could go into operation.

River taxi service is being tested in the Seine River, Paris. (Video: Reuters).