Wheels in motion for new ‘pods’ panel

The first meeting of a new people’s panel set up to help lay the groundwork for Daventry’s pioneering pod transport system will take place at the end of the month.

Daventry District Council, which is working on a pilot scheme to introduce Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) in the town centre, wants local residents to play a significant role in driving the project forward.

The innovative scheme will see driverless ‘pods’ on a 5km track with five stations and a depot. Running on demand, the ‘step on, step off’ vehicles take passengers to their selected destinations via the most efficient route on a congestion-free network.

After a call for local people to join the advisory panel to attend some PRT meetings and have their say as the scheme develops, a number of people have come forward wanting to be involved and the inaugural meeting will be held on July 31.

But the Council is still keen for more people to get involved and would welcome anyone else interested to register their interest via a dedicated email address.

“The eyes of the whole world are on Daventry with this project and we want to be sure that the future needs of people living in the district are best served. It is vital, therefore, that we have residents involved in this process,” said Councillor Chris Millar, Leader of Daventry District Council.

“The PRT Advisory Group will play a key role in exploring the practicalities of the various PRT systems that are available to us.

”Our scoping study has shown that, in theory, PRT will work in Daventry, but it is essential that in practice the technology is user-friendly.

“We have eight people confirmed for the first meeting but would like to hear from more who could join us. There may ultimately be a limit on numbers but we want as diverse a mix as possible so all viewpoints are heard. The input of members will directly influence the final project.”

The first meeting will involve a general discussion on the project and ensure members are fully briefed on the detail so far. It is expected there will be only two or three meetings per year that members would be asked to attend.

The council has begun the procurement process for the pilot scheme and over the next 12 months will appoint a specialist supplier to provide the system.