Call to try driverless taxis again
THEY were once touted as the transport of the future, with the aim of providing driverless taxis between Cardiff Bay and the city centre.
But, more than a decade after the death of that hi-tech dream in the Welsh capital, the vision is making a comeback in London.
Fifteen years ago, Cardiff council had serious plans to adopt an Urban Light Transport (ULTra) taxi network as a transport link.
The city would have been the first to adopt such an innovative transport system.
ULTra even built a 1km test track in Viking Place in Roath Docks, which is still used today to test the company’s automated vehicles.
But the city was refused two applications for grants to trial the technology.
In the intervening years, the lowenergy, driverless ULTra pods have found a home ferrying travellers between terminals at Heathrow Airport.
A trial project of the next stage of the same technology, automated cars known as GATEway, is now being run in North Greenwich, London.
Over the next three weeks, members of the public are being given the opportunity to try out the driverless shuttle pods, as they move around pedestrianised areas of Greenwich.
The developers are hoping the pods will eventually be used in a “smart city” network, where pods are hailed by smartphones and carry passengers the short distance from major transport hubs to their destination.
It is hoped the pods will reduce congestion and pollution in major cities in the UK, and eliminate the need for individuals to own their own cars.
The absence of cars could have a huge impact on city planning, including how we design housing estates and road infrastructure.
Bleddyn Lake, Friends of the Earth Cymru joint acting director, said: “Driverless pods are an interesting initiative and it is good to see innovative ways being considered to reduce congestion on our roads and reduce damaging air pollution.
“Whilst these technologies are being tested to make sure they are safe and affordable, it is vital that we make sure that existing public transport methods are reliable, punctual, clean, safe and affordable.”
Some argue the time could be ripe for another attempt to introduce the technology to Cardiff. Others say the Welsh Government needs to be investing in automated technology, as Wales needs to compete in a market where jobs are being lost through automation.
Grenville Ham, leader of the Wales Green Party, said: “If you look at it from our perspective it’s less pollution, and, as it encroaches on the market, people will not be wasting money on cars, because the end game is collective ownership.
“But alarm bells will be ringing because it’s starting to signal the loss of jobs.
“It’s another alarm bell that our government need to be waking up and investing in this automated technology.”