January 2006
Sweden's first full-scale attempt at a tracktaxi test-track begins construction in Uppsala in just days. In October are the days for testing.
This is the Korean enterprise Vectus, a division of one of the world's main steel makers, Posco, which is putting up the development costs. The corporation created it expressly for solving urban transport problems.
The test track, just under 400 meters long, will lie on the athletics field at Dag Hammarskjölds Way, on land owned by Academic Properties. The trial will go on for one and a half years. Vehicles will operate day and night and test passengers will give opinions.
Proximity to Uppsala University, with its technology research and development, contributed to Vectus choosing Uppsala after visiting various cities in Europe. Both university and city will participate in evaluation.
That Uppsala is acting as host for the attempt opens the possibility of a new private-public partnership, said architect Carl Johan Engström, planning director in Uppsala.
"This is not so cheap that local revenues can support global technology development. But trackcars are not only a question of technology development, it is a question of interplay between urban transport and city development. Shall we succeed in finding new alternative demands not only towns but also state participation."
Kerstin Persson