New Approach to Effective and Sustainable Urban Transport

An effective and sustainable transport system has been devised to meet public transport demand. Urban light transport (ULTra) is an innovative form of personal rapid transit. In contrast to other forms of public transport, there is no waiting, stopping, or transferring. In many situations, the new system can offer better transport than available by other means. ULTra has been designed to demanding sustainability requirements. Typically, ULTra reduces energy use and emissions by a factor of three compared with existing transport systems and also complements those systems. By providing a network link to major rail and bus stations, ULTra can make current transport services more attractive to passengers. The new system is also well suited for other major activity centers such as airports. In essence, ULTra replaces the old mass transit paradigm for transport with a new paradigm based on just-in-time transit. ULTra is now undergoing engineering development funded by the U.K. Department for Transport on a 1-km test track in Cardiff, Wales. The Cardiff County Council has received funding commitments by the National Assembly of Wales that could lead to system implementation by 2005. The system offers a new approach to public transport, with a real prospect of significant gains in effectiveness and sustainability.