hen the automobile became more and more common in the western world, and streets became paved, it was the beginning of real freedom of movement for many people. But the situation has long since started to degenerate. We have become too many on the roads. We desperately resort to new solutions to get from point A to point B within a reasonable time; new bridges, tunnels, highways.
Visionaries see a future where most of us have small vehicles that can travel through the air. But the airways are getting congested too, as it is now. Timeslots have become a precious commodity in Western Europe and North America. |
If a commercial airliner misses its appointed time, it might have to wait on the ground for hours for the next available timeslot. And landing aircraft increasingly have to circle in "holding patterns" above airfields before they can land. Trains and ships can still make headways. But otherwise, we humans are increasingly getting in each other's way when travelling.
The other drawback is that the motorcar driver has to devote his travelling time to controlling his vehicle. This might be enjoyable when one's young, but pretty soon, as driving is experienced as more or less tedious; one would like to devote that time to other matters. Rich people, who can afford it, do indeed get themselves a chauffeur, so they can take their mind off the traffic. |
"The Transportation Philosopher"
The beam traffic system tackles these two issues in an elegant manner. It uses computers and well-designed networks to ensure that cars seldom create congestions. And it does the driving for you. With the comfort of having your own chauffeur. |
areful research over decades has shown no flaw that will or should stop the development of PRT, but rather that PRT is a badly needed solution to a variety of transit problems. It is a new configuration of now very ordinary parts well within the current state-of-the-art."
