New taxis

2002/02/27 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Garraioak
• Teknologia

Remember cabs of cable cars? Thus, similar taxis are expected to be installed in the UK. They are called UTL, light urban transport. But the most curious thing is not the appearance, but the absence of guides.

It looks like science fiction. The user accesses the ‘car’ and it automatically takes him to the place where he wants to go.

The UTL works thanks to batteries that recharge each time left to maintain the energy level.

It does not reach high speeds of 46 km/h (25 miles per hour), but may be enough to travel within the city.

The user can call the UTL from certain ‘station’ locations, setting the desired route and destination. A maximum of 4 people enter a ‘car’.

In principle, the UTL is designed to travel on conventional roads, but in some areas it is necessary to build bridges and special steps so as not to lengthen the route much. For the moment, in Cardiff Bay in Wales we want to put 30 vehicles of this type before 2004.