The beginning of personal rapid transit

It started in London’s Heathrow airport last year when ULTra opened the first personal rapid transit system to shuttle people from parking lots to terminals in electric pods. And now this idea of a “subway car on-demand” is spreading to other parts of the world including the U.S., South Korea and Canada as a way to better connect cities and suburbs while reducing air pollution and operating costs.

Here's how it works: A customer calls for a pod to come to the station - if it is not already waiting - and types in a destination. The pod then takes the person directly from point A to B with no stops.

GOOD reports that “the system is cheaper to install than light rail, and at 5 feet wide, the guideway is narrow enough to be accommodated by many city streets.”

The UK-based company ULTra believes that these pod cars are the solution to our transportation woes, which include longer commute times due to urban sprawl and high gas prices.

Of course, coming from a city girl's point of view, the concept of public transportation makes perfect sense. But if there's a way to get to my destination without making other stops and without having to fight for a seat, well, I'll take it.

Driverless Transport Pods Finally Starting to Catch On  [GOOD]

Photo via ULTra

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com