Rail Bus System?!

by Melissa Sicat (3rd entry)

Yesterday, I just received a very overwhelming task from Prof. Antonio Oposa in our Law and Environment class. He assigned me to form a team to design a Rail Bus System that will minimize pollution and will utilize the less amount of energy to transport the most number of passengers. To make it even more overwhelming, he said he will be presenting our design as a proposal to the Department of Transportation and other concerned authorities. It all started with this dialogue during our class:

Prof. Oposa: “Mel, marunong ka bang mag-drawing?”
Me: “Sir, hindi po masyado”
Prof. Oposa: “Ok, you’ll be the one to design the Rail Bus System. Next week, you’ll make a presentation to the whole class”

Actually, I was not the first choice. It was my blockmate, Kiyo. But since he was absent on the third meeting, sir assigned me instead (moral lesson: don’t wear large name tags). I think sir already has a clear-cut plan/ vision of the project. He said that in order to avoid combustion power wastage (which happens with the use of automobiles), it will be better if we would utilize railroad tracks using natural gas as fuel. Sir asked me to consult with the best minds in the College of Engineering and School of Urban and Regional Planning to realize this idea. I have yet to set an appointment with them.

As regards the design, the Rail Bus will be double decker in order to maximize space. Since I am also a part of another project headed by another classmate, Tito Romy (his project was to effect a carless UP acad oval for a certain period of time), he came up with the idea that we could collaborate maybe and implement the Rail Bus System in the UP Campus first as a test site (I wonder how that will look).

Another classmate, Jansen also came up with a good idea. The idea was to replicate the design of a rollercoaster, i.e., there will be sharply inclined tracks (even loops) so that energy will just be initially used only to climb the inclined tracks, and everything will be left to gravity in order to run the bus. That actually sounds fun and promising, but then again, we’re law majors, not engineers.

Therefore, after a night of envisioning the Rail Bus System, perhaps our project will look something like this:

(ours will be double decker, though)

Running over something like this:

With certain bus tracks looking like this (haha):

Come to think of it, Prof. Oposa said transportation should be fun

Perhaps the biggest obstacle in making this project into reality is the oil/ gasoline suppliers sector, as the main objective is to promote rail bus commuting and mass transport system using natural gas or other natural source of energy (instead of private vehicle transportation). Also, it will take a lot of policy implementation (read: traffic rules/regulations) on the part of the government in order to push this advocacy.

Obviously, our government would also have to pour more budget into the R&D sector in order to fine tune this project as this concerns not only the environment but also the safety of passengers, its effect on businesses, tourism, etc. Our government could focus on developing renewable energy potential such as solar, ocean, biomass and wind resources (aside from natural gas). To install this mass transportation system, perhaps the enactment of a sound and efficient national land use plan shall be done, consulting the best minds in the engineering and science &technology sector.

I just hope my nose won’t bleed when I start talking with the best minds from Engineering.

Images derived from:
http://www.dvmg.com/portfol/rail_bus.jpg
http://www.ltv-vwc.org.uk/wheelspin/ws_feb_2001/vw-railbus-front.jpg
http://mycocaine.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/roller-coaster-one.jpg