Vehicles: OmniBus

Goods and people travel between neighbouring hubs as well as to more central distribution points. Existing lorries, buses and trains are well designed to serve the latter routes but those links with a lower level of traffic - say between neighbouring hubs in the suburbs may be better served by a flexible electric vehicle that is a cross between a bus and a lorry.

Modular

These vehicles are larger versions of the OmniVan. The bare chassis is a flat-bed onto which a number of OmniPods are placed. Each of these seats up to six people or holds goods in standard boxes.

As well as being up to twice as long as the OmniVan, each OmniBus can carry a second layer of OmniPods on top of the first. This upper level, when used, carries goods only, not people.

Intermediate DeliveryPoints

Each “bus stop” on the route may also be an intermediate DeliveryPoint from which OmniVans collect whole OmniPods and OmniBuses to carry goods (in boxes) or passengers on fold-down seats.">OmniPods  of boxes. A hydraulic ram in the roof of each bus shelter can transfer an OmniPod to or from an OmniVan or OmniBus in about the same time it takes the passengers to get on and off the vehicle.

Centre of Gravity

Although these vehicles will not be travelling very fast, they will be going faster than the OmniVan and hence there will be a limit to how much load can safely be carried on the “upper-deck”. The computer system will ensure that vehicles are not “top-heavy” by putting empty or light-weight OmniPods on the top-deck and placing heavier OmniPods on the lower deck to keep the centre of gravity low.