South Korea’s Air Taxi Test Has Mzansi Thinking About How It Would Work In SA

• South Korea has done a public test of its Urban Air Mobility Vehicles (aka air taxis) which it is hoping becomes fully operational by 2025
• The innovative creation is expected to cut travel times down by two-thirds, this translates to a one-hour car journey being brought down to about 20 minutes by air
• South Africans have responded to South Korea's creation with hilarious reactions revolving around the taxi industry in Mzansi

On Thursday, South Korea showcased a system that controls Urban Air Mobility Vehicles (UAM). The country is hoping that these vehicles will serve as transportation (specifically taxis) between downtown Seoul and major airports.

This may become a reality as early as 2025 and will cut travelling time by two-thirds. South Korea announced a roadmap last year for the UAM travel to become commercially used. The Ministry of Transport in the country believes that travel time for distances between 30-50km from around an hour by car to just 20 mins by air.

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Germany's Volocopter two-seater was flown by a pilot at the Gimpo Airport in Seoul in an attempt to demonstrate its coordination and control as well as to test the vehicle. The news of the air taxis was shared online and South Africans have had some hilarious responses.

According to Reuters, by next year, full-sized prototypes are expected to begin test flights. The aim is to develop five-seat versions that are fully operational. A report by eNCA revealed that the tests conducted recently were the first crewed public tests of a fully electric, landing air taxi with vertical take-off.

Briefly News took to social media to see what South Africans have to say about the ai taxi.

Sibusiso Sizwe Nkosi said:

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"I can see this coming to South Africa... And the taxi driver dropping people mid-air because imali ishoda ngo R1."

Letjeka La Ramalepe shared:

"Imagine holding the rope in the mid-air so that the door doesn't fall."

Mahlangu Kawule wrote:

"Taxi owners are lazy to fix their taxis imagine this taxi expiriencing brake down in air?"

Elmar Leon Nel added:

"And in North Korea nothing is happening."

Exclusive: Meet Rachuene Kgalema, the talented 19-year-old inventor from Limpopo

Previously, Briefly News reported that Rachuene Kgalema is the 19-year-old changing the game in the field of science. The self-proclaimed 'science specialist' has just invented the machine to disinfect cash.

Briefly News recently sat down with the talented brainiac. Kgalema opened up about his upbringing in Limpopo as well as shared all the hopes and dreams he still has for his work in science.

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You are incredibly young and yet seem so settled in your role as an inventor. What inspired your love for science and innovation?

"I Love Science because most of the time it is easy to visualize it. Also, we apply it most of the time.

"One day I asked myself this Question; “If Thomas Edison managed to Invent an incandescent light bulb, then what is stopping myself to invent something like that too? Then my answer was nothing is stopping you to invent, because Thomas Edison was also a normal human being just like myself, So from that day I started believing that even myself from Rural areas I can also invent a prestigious creation that will benefit the entire world positively."

Source: Briefly News