Mumbai, June 4: The heli-taxi service between Chandigarh and Shimla was flagged off by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Monday, June 4. The Helicopter Taxi reduces the travel time between Chandigarh and Shimla to just 20 minutes. 

The Himachal Pradesh government and national helicopter carrier Pawan Hans have deputed the 20-seater choppers to ferry passengers to promote hill tourism. For now, the heli-taxi will run every Monday and Friday. The authorities have said that they will decide on increasing the frequency depending on the response they receive.

The heli-taxi will accommodate 20 people at a time and the ticket fares start from Rs. 2,999 per passenger. The chopper will depart at 8 am from Shimla and arrive in Chandigarh by 8.20 am. The same chopper will head back to Shimla at 9 am and reach Shimla by 9.20 am. "For passengers planning their journey from Chandigarh to Shimla, the flight will take off at 9.00 am from Chandigarh airport and reach Shimla at 9.20 am," Pawan Hans said in a statement earlier.

The heli-taxi service was also launched in Bengaluru earlier this year. It is operated from 6:30 am to 9:30 am and 3:15 pm to 6:15 pm between KIA and Electronic City. Passengers can avail this facility within the international airport, at a distance of just 1 kilometer from KIA. To book the ride, people will have to download the application 'Heli Taxii'. It can accommodate 6 people at a time.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2018 12:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).