Nicola Gunstone
Develop alternative transport systems via our waterways
09 Oct 2009
Other countries are further advanced than we are when it comes to water transport. Some Australian cities use low-wash high-speed catamarans on their canals to get commuters from place to place; water buses are widely used around European cities (they're used in the UK too but as more of a novelty ride than a serious form of transport); the Japanese have just designed a beautiful sleek water bus for Tokyo; in Ontario you can use a hydrobike which gets you effortlessly along the river without any need for outboard engines.
Before trains and long before cars, rivers and canals were the major transport systems - so now we're looking for an escape from cars maybe we ought to go back to where we started. Only now we could integrate the water buses/bikes with other public transport so that you can get to and from the waterways faster. Not only this, but maybe seeing rivers and canals from this frog's eye view will be an enlightening thing - imagine being enlightened on the way to work every day.
Comments
Comment 2
Inland waterways are also a great way to shift heavy freight with even lower emissions than rail. They are used far more in France and Germany since they continued to invest and develop their waterways. (To see how much more, consult Energy and Transport in Figures pdf from EU Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/publications/statistics/statistics_en.htm )
Written by Don on 09 Oct 2009, at 22:45 Report this comment
Comment 1
This is a good idea, however it would need substantial funding!
Written by vito on 18 Nov 2009, at 14:02 Report this comment
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