CJB wrote:

Gatwick Fastway (Fantasy?)

Phase one of Gatwick Fastway, the £32m hi-tech guided bus scheme for
Crawley, Horley and Gatwick was apparently officially opened on Monday
1 September 2003.

Described as the 'faster, smarter way to travel', Fastway was
specially designed to speed past traffic congestion hotspots and
benefits from the latest intelligent transport systems (ITS)
technology.

The Phase One services operated between Bewbush in Crawley and Gatwick
North Terminal, 7 days a week, up to 20 hours a day. Adult fares on all
buses operated by Metrobus in the Crawley area, including Fastway, were
70p for a short hop or £1.10 for a longer journey. For further details
about Fastway services, contact 01293 449191. For general information,
contact 0800 3898 146.

Considering the success of London's flat fare system, it's surprising
that Metrobus Crawley has not followed suit.

Fastway vehicles travel along dedicated bus lanes and specially
constructed 'guideways'; purpose-built tracks formed of two
concrete running strips with raised kerbs on either side, which prevent
use by unauthorised traffic and provide an effective means for buses to
bypass traffic queues, without causing delay to other traffic. A
guidewheel mounted on the steering mechanism of the bus runs along the
face of the kerb, guiding the bus on its journey and resulting in a
smoother, faster ride.

That's interesting because the description matches that of an O-bahn.
Does this mean that the Adelaide O-bahn is no longer the only one in the
world?*

The success of Adelaide's O-bahn is due to its high speeds (reaching
100km/h in places) and most of the rest of the world's guided busways
are unsuccessful because they are slow. Is Gatwick Fastway actually
fast? Or is it just trying to trade on the image?


* As it has been since the Essen O-bahn closed.

--
Aidan Stanger
http://www.bettercrossrail.co.uk