Drive Wire for October 17, 2016: Uber Using Drones to Mock Drivers Trapped in Traffic

Hey there. Will Sabel Courtney here for Drive Wire on October 17th, 2016.

Today on Drive Wire: Uber is using flying quadcopter drones to advertise its services in Mexico City—by using them to taunt drivers stuck in traffic.

The fleet of quadcopters are equipped with signs designed to get under the skin of people locked in the giant city’s sea of vehicles.

“The city would be for you, not for 5.5 million cars,” one sign reads. Another says, “This is why you can never see the volcanoes,” in an apparent reference to the city’s notorious air pollution.

The drone-vertising is part of a larger push into Latin America on Uber’s part, as the ride-hailing company attempts to gain a bigger chunk of the up-and-coming market in the wake of its recent departure from China.

Uber has recently launched its increasingly popular UberPool service in Mexico City and other Latin American markets, and has also begun allowing drivers to accept cash payments, according to Bloomberg.

That’s it for Drive Wire on October 17th, 2016. I’m Will Sabel Courtney; thanks for watching, and please check out The Drive for more on the big stories from the transportation world.