The future of Heathrow airport is already underway: that was the message sent out on Friday by London airport officials at the presentation of the new "pods", the purple and white driverless vehicles that look like something out of a science fiction film. It's a foretaste of what public transport might look like in the future, using new technologies to provide a fast, environmentally-friendly service. The new vehicles should cut journey times by 60%, with an average waiting time estimated at 34 seconds. Their secret: non-stop operation, with no fixed timetable, to better adapt to the expectations of passengers, who select their destination themselves. The system is then autonomous, and travels on rails using laser sensors to find its bearings. All of this is CO2 emission-free, thanks to the electric batteries fitted to the vehicles. Each vehicle can carry up to four passengers and their luggage, with a target of 500,000 passengers a year. A small revolution for Heathrow airport, after many years of work and several million euros of investment (35 to be precise). Tried out at Heathrow airport since April, the system will benefit business travellers using the London hub more generally, before perhaps being extended to other transport networks.
