Grasp potential of personal rapid transport, consultant tells Mayor

A major transport consultancy has called on London mayor Boris Johnson to grasp the opportunities offered by personal rapid transit.

In an unusual step for a transport consultant, Colin Buchanan has spelt out its transport vision for the capital in response to the Mayor’s draft transport strategy.

The consultant is criticial of some of the mayor’s priorities, such as the plan to scrap the western extension of the central London congestion charge, replace bendy buses and commission a new bus design for the capital. “In the present financial circumstances the mayor needs all the sources of revenue possible and not to incur expenditure which provides no improvement in transport services, for example the replacement Routemaster,” said Colin Buchanan chairman Andreas Markides.

The company says expanding the coverage of congestion charging would provide much-needed revenue for major transport schemes. Expansion should take place incrementally, it says, initially by extending the central London scheme and introducing a charge on roads around Heathrow Airport. The latter could fund the expansion of the airport’s new personal rapid transit (PRT) system. This links car parks to terminals but Buchanan says it should also link terminals with surrounding areas, hotels and transport hubs.

Buchanan, which has advocated PRT for a number of towns and cities, says the technology could have applications in other parts of the capital such as the Park Royal industrial and business park in West London and, more generally, linking residential and employment areas to rail stations.

The consultant suggests that bus travel could be made more attractive by allowing Oystercard holders to make unlimited boardings of buses within 90 minutes of the first boarding without an additional charge. The pay-as-you-go variety of Oyster should be valid in taxis and minicabs, it adds.

On roads, Buchanan recommends innovations such as switching off traffic lights and flashing ambers at quiet times of day. Average speed cameras should be implemented on “key routes” and there should be greater use of ‘tidal flow’ lanes in peak hours.

Overall, Buchanan says the mayor needs to do more to cut transport’s carbon dioxide emissions. Suggested measures include extending Richmond-style emissions-based car parking charges, road pricing, stricter rules on the Low Emission Zone, car-free days in central London and ‘cycle only’ roads in the peak periods.

With a registration scheme for minicabs now complete, it says minicabs, like taxis, should be allowed into bus lanes (though they and taxis should only be allowed into lanes where they have no detrimental impact on bus services).

The mayor’s draft transport strategy proposes a number of new river crossings in East London. But Buchanan says Johnson should give emphasis to new pedestrian and cycle bridges rather than road bridges.

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