Project has been ended in 2007.

Especially in urban environments conventional modes of public transport fail to match the complex mix of demands for transport, quality and environment in a sustainable way. Automated vehicles, like peoplemovers, offer a new solution to urban transport problems.

Peoplemovers are driverless vehicles that run autonomously over a normal road surface. Peoplemovers operate like a horizontal elevator. The customer calls a vehicle by a pushbutton at the station. In the peoplemover he chooses his destination and the vehicle brings him there without intermediate stops. Peoplemovers provide transport on demand. They realise short travel times; the first requirement of urban commuters. The electric drive makes the vehicles silent, clean and energy efficient. The controlled movements of the vehicles add to the quietness of the environment. Peoplemovers can best be used for local tranport and as feeders for high capacity urban transport systems such as tram or subway. The fact that the vehicles do not need drivers makes the exploitation costs low and independent of the operational hours.

The goal of the project is to tackle the main barriers to use the potential of peoplemovers as innovation for sustainable mobility: The projects will

• map the role of peoplemovers in the future urban environment,
• create a toolbox for decision makers,
• broaden the application of peoplemovers by enabling mixing with other forms of traffic,
• validate results in a demonstration project

The main innovations are in the toolbox for decision makers and the very challenging solutions needed for mixing with other means of transport.

First peoplemover projects have shown a high customer appreciation. This project focuses to improve customer satisfaction by city planners and concessionaries. Peoplemovers make the public transport chain broader and better and more attractive to the customer by offering transport on demand over short distances, which are otherwise not covered by conventional transport systems

Peoplemovers are clean, silent and energy efficient. They add a quite and friendly aspect to the environment. Peoplemovers offer city planners the chance to create an environment that is less dominated by the use of cars. The peoplemover concept combines cost reductions (personnel) with quality improvements (no waiting time) and round the clock availability. Peoplemovers improve the competitiveness of public transport.

Participants
Advanced Netherlands Transport, Connexxion, Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (Erasmus University), TNO Bouw en Ondergrond, TNO Sience and Industry, Frog Navigation Systems, City of Almere, Mobileye, Sick AG. SickGmbH, Waldkirch, Deutschland

Projectmanager
Frog Navigations Systems: J.W. van der Wiel

For more information, please contact Transumo at info@transumo.nl, +31 79 3470950