Automated system which is difficult to implement

photo credit: visulogik

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is an interesting concept of an automated transportation system.  In a perfect PRT, 2-4 passengers would ride in computer controlled vehicles on elevated rails to avoid impacting surface activity.  The vehicles would follow these guideways to allow optimum use of time and space.  While this looks very promising on paper, the idea is very costly and has yet to be actually implemented.

Maybe someday this “dream” will come to be, but the people at Treehugger have their doubts.  In the mean time Pay4Rides would have the same benefits for 2-4 passengers, but instead of expensive robot podcars, the personal vehicles would be existing cars driven by actual drivers.

Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people (usually strangers) for a ride in their cars.  The problem is that hitchhikers want a free ride.

Now Pay4Rides is attempting to introduce the concept of organized hitchhiking.  Driver and passenger ratings could take out some of the uncertaintity whie payment for rides would make it profitable.

Organization:

• pick-up/drop off stations @ each exit/entrance of major highways
• lanes for each exit so you get picked up by a driver for your destination
• cash initially, EZ Pass in the future?
• credit driver, debit rider

When I think of a hitchhiker, I conjure an image from the classic movie Easy Rider.  Times have changed and cell phones allow us constant communication with freinds and family.  Simple text messages could let anyone know all the details of any trip.

Today, paying passengers could be well worth sharing a ride.

Does the idea of accepting a ride from a stranger scare you?  If no, then Pay4Rides is for you.

If yes, then how do you feel about taxis?  Isn’t this the same thing?  Or does the fact that the driver has a cab license ease you concerns?  Then to make Pay4Rides a more acceptable way of ride sharing, we need to license both drivers and rides.  Peer ratings would help eliminate much of the uncertainty when dealing with “strangers”.
photo credit: dionhinchcliffe