Blog - February 2012
PRT, standing for Personal Rapid Transit, is an idea that has been around for a long time but rarely implemented. Cars and bikes take us where we want to go, point to point. Buses and trains force us to go along corridors via stations and bus stops, which takes more time. PRT is intended to provide speedy journeys using automatic taxis on dedicated tracks - a new mode of travel, close to point to point.
Martin Lowson, inventor of the ULTra system now running at Heathrow, gave a seminar at the Centre for Transport Studies, UCL, last week. We were impressed by the high reliability and good customer experience that have been achieved in a few months of operation. Dispensing with the shuttle buses reduced local air pollution, a problem at this airport. Less expected was the observation that the shorter travel time between Terminal 5 and its business car park would enhance land values.
The cost of the 'pods' and infrastructure was of the order of £6m per km of one way track, which is competitive with alternatives. Plans are under consideration for expansion at Heathrow and an urban system at Amritsar, India.
The ULTra PRT system has the potential to enter the market for urban transport as an attractive new mode of travel.
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