I evaluate the suitability of Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) for transportation problems in Singapore, and I propose short-term and long-term applications.

• Personal Rapid Transport at Vectus, Inc. Also available as Harvard Business School Case 910-010. I have prepared a teaching note to aid instructors in the teaching of this material. Copies are available from Harvard Business Publishing (at no charge to qualified educators who create a free educator account) or directly from me (by email request).
• Environmental Benefits of Personal Rapid Transport – HBS Faculty Comment on Environmental Issues for Earth Day. April 20, 2011.
• Towards Improvement in Singapore’s Transportation Efficiency and Environmental Impact – submission to the National Climate Change Secretariat of Singapore. October 29, 2011.

Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) vehicles—often called “driverless taxis”—sought to combine the best characteristics of cars, taxis, and trains, while adding features unavailable in any existing transportation system. Like cars and taxis, PRT vehicles carried small groups—often just a single passenger—with no need to wait for a shared vehicle to arrive or for others to board. Yet PRT followed train systems in using an exclusive right of way that avoided delays from other traffic. Where would such systems be most useful? Could system designers successfully compete with well-established networks of trains, buses, cars, and roads?

Teaching Materials:

Personal Rapid Transport at Vectus, Ltd. – Teaching Note (HBP 910024)