How many times have you waited for a bus, for hours, only to watch it whiz past you when it does finally arrive?

This is exactly the problem that UK-based bus designers, Capoco Design along with the Royal College of Art, are hoping to address. They are developing a driverless mass transport system known as ‘Personalised Public Transport’ (PPT) that will let you summon a bus, instead of having to wait for it, by sending a text message using a cell phone. The bus will come to fetch you right at your doorstep or any other location of your choice and then drop you at the requested destination. Each bus will carry a maximum of 24 passengers. However, you can even order a whole bus all for yourself, for an extra fee.

The PPT is part of a futuristic plan aimed at decongesting London roads and reducing pollution.

The driverless bus will navigate the streets by following magnets embedded in the road as markers. Additionally, it would use global positioning system and onboard sensors to control its speed, direction and prevent collisions. The buses will run at a maximum of 40kmph inside city limits, though, on dedicated lanes built along major roads, it can cruise at 70kmph.


According to the designers of the bus, the vehicle will, on its own, be able to determine the most efficient route using the magnets. It could also link up with other such buses to form a ‘train’ which will split up whenever required.

The designers claim that since these vehicles will be based on electric/ bio-fuel hybrid engines, they would be significantly cheaper to run than ones based on conventional fuels. The absence of a driver would further cut operating costs by as much as 50 per cent.

Capoco is expecting to build a prototype next year, trial runs for which are expected to be conducted at London’s Heathrow airport.

Like Capoco, researchers from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands are also developing a ‘Super bus’ — a 30-passenger electric vehicle that can reach speeds of up to 250kmph. In fact, the bus looks more like a futuristic stretch limousine. It is only 1.7 meters high (roughly the height of the Mahindra Scorpio) and has individual doors for each of its 30 seats.

The bus will use either fuel cells or batteries that will propel it to 100 kmph in just 36 seconds. And like the PPT, it will pick up and drop off passengers based on SMS requests. The makers of the Super bus are looking to unveil a fully operational prototype at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Another futuristic driverless taxi, called the ULTra Personal Rapid Transit system, looks set to make its debut next year. Developed by UK-based Advanced Transport Systems (ATS), the ULTra is a four-seater, computer-controlled pod that can travel at speeds up to 40kmph while consuming 70 per cent less energy than conventional cars. ULTra systems will be used at heathrow to enable passengers to travel from car parks to various terminals.

All these concepts, apart from being snazzy and environmental friendly, aim to make commuting a lot faster and hassle-free. They also present a unique alternative to the more expensive mass transport systems such as magnetic-levitation trains and metros. However, these systems will still need to overcome many barriers including fears related to safety as most of these vehicles would be unmanned.

The day is not far when you could hope to be spared the ordeal of traveling in rickety, jam-packed BMTC buses. Until then, well, dream on...

Source: DeccanHerald