//beconfused

Just got it in today’s newspaper. The idea is not new, but it’s one step closer to Singapore seeing these things. This is so Minority Report:

(The Straits Times – New transport idea rides on pluses of bus, taxi, train. Graphics by Amran Bin Mohamed, source Monic PRT. Click to enlarge.)

New transport idea rides on pluses of bus, taxi, train

Imagine a public transport system that combines the accessibility of buses, the speed of trains and the privacy and door-to-door service of taxis. And it is cheap.

It is a bold proposition of Monic PRT, a company started by technopreneur Tan Lien Chiow to develop a Personal Rapid Transit network in Singapore.

The system consists of fully automated electric cars moving on rails, coordinated by sophisticated software that determines which station to stop at or skip, depending on demand.

Mr. Tan, 52, said: “The design allows cars to pass stations and even pass each other. This way, stations can be built as close as 50m apart, instead of 800m to 1,000m you usually see for LRT and MRT systems.”

Fares could be as low as 30 cents per ride, Mr. Tan said. “But if they are in a hurry, they can book a carriage for themselves,” he said, adding that booking could even be made via SMS.

He has proposed to build a line linking the science and engineering faculties at the National University of Singapore, and eventually link the campus in Kent Ridge to Dover MRT station.

He said PRT lines take up less space, and a 10km line could cost as little as SG$30 million to build — one-tenth the cost of an equivalent LRT line. Because of its infinite flexibility, he said a PRT line can accommodate 1,000 riders per hour, comparable to an LRT line.

The PRT idea has been around for more than 20 years, but has never been applied on a large scale. most PRTs operate in the United States, on campuses and at airports. London’s Heathrow Airport recently awarded a contract to erect one, the Dubai will have one in its international financial centre.

Source: The Straits Times, Home section, page H3 (May 22, 2006). Purchase a copy of The Straits Times to read more.

(Cars in Minority Report are like PRTs.)

Yes, we may have Minority Report vehicles next time. Now they just have to sort out the eye scans.

Just thought that it is something interesting to see in Singapore. I wouldn’t mind such things in Singapore. I just thought we may have space constraints too. It’s ugly to have them flying around above me.

It doesn’t seem that we’re trying to replace MRT LRT or taxis here though. Maybe they’re just trying to replace bicycles.

External links:

• Wikipedia Personal Rapid Transit
• Monic PRT
• WMV video to explain the PRT system and how it works.
• Proposed PRT system for Microsoft campus, a video too.

Possibly related:

1. Transport error – HTTP status code was not 200
2. Singapore to spend $20 billion on building new MRT lines
3. increment//press

Tags: car, movies, mrt, science, singapore, technology