Slashdot Mirror
Amphibious Car Beats Urban Congestion
woodhouse writes "According to BBC News, a company in the UK have just tested a fully amphibious car on the Thames river. It can travel at up to 100 miles an hour on land, and its wheels fold up to allow it to speed across water at 30mph, propelled by a jet. The company responsible, Aquada, suggest it's a good way to avoid congestion."
I currently row on the river for my university in an 8 (one of the more stable rowing boats) and we already have problems being washed down by other boats. And thats at 6 in morning. During the day the problems increase. I'd say there was already plenty of traffic on the thames. If there is going to be more usage of the thames, then water bus/taxis should be the answer. In sydney this system works extremely well.
It could. Back before they built the sewers in the 1850s or so, the sewage from two and a half million people went into the thames - which is a tidal river at that point. So you have 2.5mil ppl's crap going up and down the thames with the tide. They got outbreaks of cholera from that because the water companies just pumped that water and distributed that to people - drinking beer exclusively was a good plan in those days.
They finally decided to fund the sewers (a gigantic project, and very well done since the original sewers are still in use today) when the thames stank so bad that the MP's couldn't even get into the river-facing rooms of the house of parliament without choking from the awful stench (apparently comparable to the smell of a rotting body).
I'd say that was worse than now.
Daniel
Carpe Diem