March_1971 — Page 38

HOOKED 3.CAR UNIT

lifts now in use. At normal passenger demand only the basic unit is run, with for instance a speed of 6 m/sec. For a distance of three quarters to one mile this gives a travelling time of about 10 minutes for both ways, stops included (3).

This also gives the maximum wait- ing time, which seems reasonable as compared to other means of transpor- tation. At peak hours additional cars would be hooked on and the speed would be dropped to probably 4.5 m/sec., according to the load carried.

The actual operating procedure would be as follows: the cars would be called automatically when people walk through the control (light barrier, coinslot, turn-style, floor-contact etc.). If the number of entering persons ex- ceeds the capacity of the basic unit, one or two cars are hooked automati- cally and open their protective screen and their sliding doors. If the demand is satisfied the returning cars close their doors and would go back to the waiting space. The control barrier would also serve for the collection of fares.

Financing

There would be mainly two cate- gories of users: the casual 'foreign' passengers, which would be the smaller group, and the regular 'local' users, which would constitute the larger group.

The first category could pay in any

立:

Fig. 4: diagram of 'subscription' zones.

BASIC UNIT

normal way, coin operated machine or by ticket issue, but it is the second group with which we should be mainly concerned, and it is conceivable that the changes could form part of the rent of apartments, and a special key (even the front door key) could be used to gain entry to the Elevayor.

Construction costs could be im- agined to be financed by some form of tax or a credit given by the developers which would be payed back by free subscription to the transportation system. The tax could be laid on indi- viduals (households) or objects (houses, real estate) and would de- crease in zones according to the dis- tance to the system. Since public in- terests are also concerned the govern- ment might also make some contri- bution.

In conclusion, it should be em- phasised that the proposed system may not be workable, but in cities which suffer from the impact of the automobile, both in inconvenience and in pollution, any such ideas should be taken at least through a preliminary stage of study, in the hope that one or some might help in the future im- provement of their environmental condition.

It is hoped that this particular idea might prove to be one of these.

References

(1) The name Elevayor (Eleveyor)

1,200 M M 500 m

300M

III.

TUBE CANTILEVERING FROM EXISTING STRUCTURE'S

AIR. SHUTE

GOODS

DELIVERY

FREESTANDING POST

Fig. 3: schematic sketch of ELEVAYOR cars and bearing structure.

was formed by the combination of the two words 'elevator' and 'conveyor' as suggested in a similar way for other commuting systems in: Richards, Brian: Stadtverkehr von morgen, Call- wey, Munich 1970 (orig.: New Move- ment in Cities, Studio Vista, London, 1966).

(2) as for instance installed for the minirail at the Swiss Exposition at Lausanne in 1964. (op. cit.)

(3) all figures should be subject to further investigation. Ten minutes for the total journey is to be considered as the goal which would outdo the com- parable trip by taxi or bus.

Far East BUILDER, March 1971 Page 38

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