Residents of Abu Dhabi's zero-carbon community Masdar will be able to get around on the world's first citywide personal rapid transit system. The network will use a fleet of driverless, electrically powered vehicles running on special tracks below street level.
A passenger will enter a car which will each carry up to four people and select one of 100 stops throughout the development. They will then be whisked away to their destination.
The futuristic concept offers significant benefits over traditional mass transit systems. It is available on demand around-the-clock, provides point-to-point travel and removes the need for passengers to share space with large numbers of other people. The basic idea has been considered for at least a century but implementation has lagged behind. London's Heathrow Terminal 5 where a 3.5km network will start operating next year will be the first public test of the concept.
The Masdar plan, however, is bolder as it will be the first citywide version. Sources at the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, which is behind the project, say the experience of using the system will be similar to hiring a taxi except the cars will be driverless.
Stops will be located in such a way that passengers will not have to walk more than 100 metres before reaching their final destination. The concrete tracks will be at ground level and the entire city will be elevated six metres above.
The decision to separate the transit network from the rest of the city comes from a desire to keep it apart from pedestrian traffic, as walking will be encouraged throughout the development. Conventional cars will be banned. The first electric vehicles will appear in 2010 when phase one of the Masdar project is complete.
The transit system will develop in parallel with the rest of the city, which will take eight years to build. Work on the development is expected to start early next year, by which time the contract for the manufacture of the vehicles should be placed. The system will provide great flexibility as passengers will not be restricted to public transport schedules.
Vehicles will travel directly between points in the city, stopping only at the passenger's destination. Eco-friendly Masdar will feature high-density development, which limits urban sprawl and the need for long journeys. Solar panels on the roofs of buildings will generate electricity and help to avoid the release of CO2 gas, which is linked to global warming. (Emirates Today)
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