Supertram test to ease traffic

The ULTra system is said to be the first of its kind

A test track for a revolutionary new transport system is being launched in Cardiff Bay on Thursday.

The ULTra (Urban Light Transport) scheme involves driverless cars taking passengers around the capital on a dedicated track.

The project is the brainchild of Professor Martin Lowson of Bristol University who previously worked on the moon-landing space programme.

ULTra Facts

Battery operated

Top speed 25mph

Driverless cabs

Fares around £1

Smart cards to select destination

CCTV security

Street level and elevated tracks

If the tests are judged to be a success, funding would be sought for a £45m project linking the city centre, the civic centre at Cathays Park and Cardiff Bay starting in 2004.

Cardiff County Council is keen to promote the scheme as an environmentally friendly transport system which can help boost the profile of the Welsh capital.

"This will have enormous benefits for the travelling public and give Cardiff something totally unique," said Deputy Mayor Christine Priday.

"Successful cities innovate, and position themselves at the forefront of developments in technology and knowledge.

"That is why we are actively exploring how our transport system might take advantage of some of the brightest ideas that the world's transport community has to offer."

A test track has been built in Cardiff Bay

Advanced Transport Systems Limited has been set up by a team at Bristol University to develop the project.

The company said the trials would last for about a year before the first routes would be started in Cardiff Bay.

"This scheme is science fact and not science fiction because it uses existing technology," said ATS chairman, Trevor Smallwood.

Nearly £3m of Government funding has been provided to build a test circuit of just under 1km, on which three vehicles can be tested on ground level and elevated tracks.

Various aspects will be examined, including passenger comfort, levels of automation and mobility access.

In the final scheme, passengers would use the vandal-proof vehicles as personalised taxis, using a smart card to tap in their destination and pay the fare.

Multi-million plans

Each station would sit in a bus-style layby and have a CCTV camera for extra safety and to deter vandals.

The first phase including building costs will be around £30m with the whole scheme linking the city centre, civic centre and Bay to cost £45m.

The scheme would link the city centre with the Bay

Funding will be sought from the National Assembly and Europe if the project proves feasible.

The developers claim that the costs of the system would be between one-third and a half that of an equivalent light railway system.

A number of English cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield already have light rail or modern tram-style schemes which are commonplace in continental Europe.

Others including Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham and Portsmouth are hoping to follow suit as a means of tackling congestion on the roads.

Transport campaigners in Wales have frequently called for a larger light rail system serving Cardiff and the south Wales valleys, claiming it would be an improvement on the current rail network.