Dutch Superbus
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The Dutch Superbus project is led by Dutch astronaut professor Wubbo Ockels of the Delft University of Technology and concerns the creation of high speed buses (150 - 250 km/h / 93 - 155 mph) that travel over so called 'Super Lanes' to be constructed separately next to the nation's highways.[1] The idea is that the buses will offer comfortable, demand-depending door-to-door transportation rivaling the car and the train.
Barring the development of the actual vehicle, the coming years will see investigations carried out concerning the Super Lanes, which would have to be geothermically heated in order to prevent icing in the winter season. The system itself is also still in the investigation phase, the current idea would mean passengers can 'order' the Superbus via the Internet or telephone, meaning it would stop by their house or a central place in the area depending on which other passengers will travel from and to which locations. In this system, the Superbus is not tied to fixed routes, which limits travelling time.
In short, project Superbus currently includes studies into the infrastructure, logistics, safety, reliability and economic viability. Next to, of course, the design of the actual bus. Total costs of the project are currently estimated at around seven million euros, funded largely by the Dutch State. The project is carried out by the Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.
