Plans for “autonomous” flying taxis to ferry people around south-east Queensland during the 2032 Olympics have been criticised as out of touch with the everyday needs of residents.
The south-east Queensland Council of Mayors announced on Thursday it had struck a memorandum of understanding with international air mobility company, Wisk, with plans to bring self-flying taxis to the state within the next decade.
Wisk said that once it secures approvals to be able to operate in Australian skies, passengers could be flown between Olympic venues in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Similar services have been proposed overseas, but no commercial services have yet taken off.
Brisbane Greens councillor, Jonathan Sri, questioned the need for such a proposal in Queensland, saying he couldn’t see it delivering anything other than “joy rides for the rich”.
“Instead of improving public and active transport options, it seems like Brisbane’s mayor wants the mega-rich to fly overhead while the majority of residents are stuck in traffic on the ground,” Sri told Guardian Australia.
“You know what I’d be a lot more excited about? Reliable late-night bus services for the suburbs that are affordable for people on low incomes. Surely that’s not too much to ask.”
Sri said air taxis would probably suffer the same congestion issues as other transport options if there were more than a couple dozen in the sky.
“If these private taxis need big landing pads, I can tell you right now that I won’t support them landing in council parks or squares,” he said.
Council of Mayors chair and Brisbane lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, defended the proposal, calling it a “gamechanger” that would bolster the state’s aviation industry.
Schrinner said the plan wouldn’t cost council “a cent” and was funded by private industry, with council continuing to invest in public transport networks.
“We know … the city has grown rapidly, there are some parts of the city that are underserviced with public transport, and others where the services aren’t being well used – we need to make sure we target the investment,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Catherine MacGowan, Asia Pacific region director at Wisk, said the transport would be affordable, “in the range of Uber X or Uber Black”, and become cheaper as the company expands.
“[Being] self-flying means that we can scale this transport option and make it more affordable,” MacGowan said.
Guardian Australia understands a one-way Uber X trip from Brisbane’s CBD to the Gold Coast or parts of the Sunshine Coast can costs hundreds of dollars, depending on demand or surge pricing.
When questioned by reporters about noise pollution, MacGowan said the company’s air taxis were “significantly quieter” than helicopters and do not need much landing space.
Becky Tanner, chief marketing officer at Wisk, said current models of the aircraft can hold two passengers, but the next generation of the fleet will have room for four.
She did not provide a launch date for the flying taxis but said the aircraft would be safe, with a human always “in the loop” and monitoring the aircraft on the ground.
“In the first few years, we anticipate reaching at least 20 cities … and at least 14 million riders globally within the first few years,” she said.
Schrinner said it was “a real possibility” that flying taxis could operate in south-east Queensland during the Games but also “as part of the ongoing transport network” of Brisbane city.
“We have no doubt that there will be other players [coming] into this space … Wisk [will lead] the charge,” he said.
It comes as another private company, Skyportz, has announced plans to develop an air taxi hub in Moreton Bay within the next decade.
Brazilian company EmbraerX is also working to bring air taxis to Melbourne by 2026 after announcing a partnership with Airservices Australia.
