The social costs of transport are unacceptably high. Some people suggest that governments should reduce the growth or even the level of mobility to cope with this problem. Another (additional) solution may be the introduction of alternative technological options. This paper gives a survey of major options for improving the transport system. First some important force fields are mentioned which are critical for the introduction of new technologies. These may be found in socio-psychological, institutional, economic, technical and geographical areas. Alternative fuels are a possibility to keep the level of existing car traffic and air traffic intact. Possibilities are hydrogen and bio-fuels. Another possibility is the introduction of new models of transport systems technologies. In this paper the electric car, the people mover, subterranean transport, the high speed maglev train, guided vehicles and shuttles through vacuum tunnels are dealt with. (A)
Samenvatting