Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is new form of transport technology that is being proposed as a potential form of public transport in Daventry.
It should be stressed that DDC has no system preference at this stage of the project.
A crucial characteristic of PRT is the on-demand aspect. This means that you would not need to plan your journey to fit with any timetable. You would simply arrive at your closest ‘station’ and request a vehicle. That vehicle would arrive within a couple of minutes, at which point you simply select your destination and off you go. Payment would most likely be via a swipecard system at the station. Click here to view examples of the technology available.
Daventry is to expand significantly by 2021 and may well continue to expand. The town population will grow from approximately 23,000 to more than 40,000. The Council is looking at innovative ways of providing an attractive and efficient public transport system that will serve the town’s expansion as well as the existing town.
The current number of journeys made by public transport in Daventry is very low at approximately 3% to 4%. We have concerns that the increasing population will mean that car journeys into and around the town will become increasingly congested, and that a more sustainable alternative needs to be found. A PRT system should also offer significant environmental benefits, particularly in terms of localised carbon emissions.
A town wide network would offer a quickly accessible (possibly less than 2 minutes), very quiet, high quality, uninterrupted journey from origin to destination. The system would be fully accessible for disabled and elderly people. Emissions from the PRT vehicles would be minimal, and, along with an associated reduction in car use, air quality would improve. PRT journeys are only shared if you choose to share and so the quality and security of journeys should be higher than with a bus.
DDC has considered the feasibility of the proposals through two major reports - the Daventry Development Transport Study (by Colin Buchanan and Partners), and the Daventry PRT Pilot Scoping Study (by SKM consulting). You can view them on this section of the website.
The Council is seeking funding support for the project through a range of sources and has engaged in some initial outline communications with a few of the leading PRT developers. No formal procurement (purchasing of a PRT system) has begun.
The Council is currently considering the feasibility of a pilot route – the first section of a wider network. The alignment of this proposal can be seen on this section of the website by downloading Alignment Sketches (pages 1 and 2). It must be stressed that this is a first draft only of a possible pilot routing, and will undoubtedly be revised and amended as the project goes forward.
Permissions to build a pilot route would not be sought until 2011 at the earliest. Due to the relatively outline stage of these proposals, full public consultation has not yet taken place but it will happen once the route location and system specifics have greater certainty.
Because the procurement of PRT suppliers has not yet begun, the actual costs are unknown at this point. This is to be expected, given the early stage of the project and the scale and nature of the proposal. The Daventry Development Transport Study (Buchanan) and Daventry PRT Pilot Scoping Study (SKM) reports give broad indications of the projects construction costs, with the current pilot route being estimated at £15m to £24m, depending upon inclusions (ie specification detail, chosen system, etc).
The scale of the finances required is such that the Council is looking at national and European funding sources for the project. Work is ongoing to identify the most appropriate funding sources. One possible source is via large scale grants available via the Department For Transport (DfT).
The current indicative proposals have been outlined in the Daventry Development Transport Study (Buchanan) and Daventry PRT Pilot Scoping Study (SKM) reports available on this section of the website.
Information from these studies – such as cost, type of track etc – has recently been taken out of context by some parties and misinterpreted to the public that PRT in Daventry will definitely proceed in this form. The studies are purely indicative and details within are subject to change.
No. It must be emphasised that PRT proposals are very much indicative at this stage and will be subject to change as the scheme moves forward with public consultation.
A first stage pilot route and town-wide network have been outlined but both layouts are proposals only, and will be open to considerable further appraisal as the project progresses.
Yes. Not only is public consultation a statutory requirement, but the views of local people are vital to ensure that the PRT project is workable and realistic for the people of Daventry to use on a daily basis. Public consultation will follow once the proposals have more certainly in terms of locations and scale and all comments and feedback will be considered by the Council.
A PRT Public Advisory Group with approximately 30 members - representing a cross section of Daventry people - meets regularly to hear updates on the project, ask questions, and give opinions on the proposals. Members of this panel responded to a public invitation placed in Daventry Calling magazine last year. Applications for this group are now closed but views on the PRT project are still welcome.
If you have any specific questions about the project, you can get in touch by email - or write to: PRT feedback, Development and Property, Daventry District Council, Lodge Road, Daventry, NN11 4FP.
Powered by EasySite™