In the open-minded spirit of Cambridge Futures, we will also be
looking at more futuristic forms of transport. It may be that in the end they
are not examined in detail, but we feel it is worth highlighting innovations
that are being developed and researched and may have an impact in the longer
term.
New possibilities in personal transport include personal human
transporters, such as the ‘"Segway."
This could be described as a gyroscopic scooter. It is apparently easy to use,
and capable of travelling at speeds up to about 12 mph. It offers a transport at
the human scale where users and pedestrians can interact. A large proportion of
car journeys in Cambridge are less than 3 miles and human transporters offer an
alternative means of transport for these relatively short journeys.
Travelling by Segway would be far more sustainable than by car
for short distances both in efficiency and environmental impacts. The option may
include track-ways sheltered from the weather to make this option more
attractive.
Although this option may immediately conjure up images of
futuristic ideas, such as the Sinclair C5, that have failed to gain public
acceptance, it is worthy of further consideration because of the potential
benefits it could offer.
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Nearly all of these cars in this Cambridge
queue have only one occupant - how much space could be saved by human-scale
transport?
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See the "Segway"
To see the revolutionary scooter and the claims made for it,
visit the website at
www.segway.com |
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