The motto of the Brazilian city of São Paulo translates as “I am not led, I lead,” but on the streets of the sprawling metropolis it has become increasingly hard to get anywhere at all. The population of greater São Paulo is nearing 20 million residents, making it the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the world. The increasing population and boom in business has overloaded the city’s transportation infrastructure, making relatively short jaunts into nightmares of endurance. More than 6 million vehicles clogged the city’s streets last year, making movement through major routes and popular side streets almost impossible at peak periods.
The scope of the problem is evident on the roof of every major building: Helicopter pads have become commen features of the city’s skyline. According to a recent story in the Guardian newspaper, São Paulo’s fleet of 469 helicopters is now the largest of any city in the world.