High-speed capsule will solve problems of traffic jams
2023.01.08 03:50
High-speed capsule will solve problems of traffic jams
Budrigannews.com – Cities all over the world struggle with traffic jams, and some are turning to AI-enabled traffic lights and others to electric scooters. However, one company believes that a network of driverless, high-speed pods suspended from a steel track would be the solution.
A 400-meter test line was opened in Sharjah in June by the Belarusian company uSky Transport, which borders Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The electrically powered pods are shiny white from the outside, and the inside is designed to feel like a first-class airline suite with mood lighting, lounge music, and windows from floor to ceiling. The vehicle under test has two foldable seats and two padded armchairs that can hold up to four people.
According to uSky, a fully operational city-wide network could accommodate 10,000 passengers per hour. Vehicles can currently travel up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, but they cannot reach their maximum speed on the test track due to safety concerns.
According to the company, its goal is to free up roads and ground space that could be used for walkways, greenery, and public recreation areas. People are sick of traffic jams and the ground level is completely overcrowded. Oleg Zaretskiy, CEO of uSky Transport, asserts, “People are sick and tired of emissions.”
uSky says that this system costs about $10 million, whereas constructing a single kilometer of subway can cost up to $150 million. Additionally, it lowers carbon emissions because it uses fewer structural materials.
The business has also developed a technology that is comparable for transporting cargo containers that can carry up to 48 tons at a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour.
Sky pods, or transport pods that travel above ground, are frequently compared to monorails or cable cars. However, according to McKinsey & Company associate partner Stephanie Haag, they provide greater adaptability.
She asserts, “In a cable car, there is only one car, and it always drives at the same speed.” You can use a variety of cabins on that particular infrastructure in sky pods, such as those designed for shorter urban trips or longer distances.
Haag believes that if the promises of improved mobility and sustainability are kept, it could still be a widely adopted solution, despite her warning that it would require careful planning to avoid congestion in a busy city-wide network.
In order to demonstrate how passenger and cargo pods can be integrated into the same network, uSky plans to construct a 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) line in Sharjah later this year. This will enable the company to operate the passenger pod at higher speeds.
The CEO of Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, Hussain Al Mahmoudi, claims that the emirate’s strategy to become a sustainable and futuristic hub will benefit from sky pods.
USky has received preliminary approval to construct a line around the coastal town of Khor Fakkan to the east of the emirate now that the test line is operational.
Other global companies, such as Virgin Hyperloop, are reportedly developing high-tech transport pods for the region. Dubai, a neighboring emirate, is also reportedly looking into driverless pods that would operate above city traffic.
According to Zaretskiy, uSky is also looking outside of the UAE. He continues, “We can see that the most promising areas for us are in the Middle East and Asia — places like India and Pakistan where there is natural growth of population.”
Haag adds that countries with a growing need for mobility solutions and inadequate public transportation are better suited for pods. Nevertheless, uSky Transport, according to Zaretskiy, has received inquiries from Canada and the United States.
Zaretskiy adds that the company expects to sign its first commercial contract in Sharjah by the end of the year, which means that uSky pods could be operating over traffic by 2024.
