Most major cities suffer from traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours. This can cause a long wait for a traditional taxicab, and a frustratingly slow journey once it arrives.
I propose a network of powered paraglider taxis. A powered paraglider is, in essence, a parachute with a motor.
It is started on foot, travels through the air and can achieve an average speed of around thirty miles per hour. Although most such vehicles carry a single occupier, the technology already exists for a seasoned pilot to carry an untrained passenger.
Requiring only a short run in order to become airborne, this technology is ideal for the time-poor businessperson who needs to be somewhere quickly. The taxi-glider can be launched from a car park (parking lot), a quiet side-street or even the flat roof of a sky-scraper.
Need to get to a meeting quickly? Booked a last-minute flight, and worried about the traffic on the way to the airport? The sky is no longer the limit!
(Air-space restrictions may apply; the proponent of this idea takes no responsibility for injury or death caused by pre-emptive military action.)