Following public trials last December, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRT) are recruiting testers for their brand new cars (this month at Jangam station, line 7).Model SR001 is to be progressively rolled out across the four lines they operate (5-6-7-8).
Its most striking feature ? the central bench system : instead of hanging up at the mercy of sudden brakings, people standing up can rest against vertical cushioned bars. Others can toy with interactive touch screeens (5678 Happy Touch). Bonus: people sitting in the middle can conveniently share with more neighbors whatever they see fit (snores, phone conversations, hair parasites...).
Meanwhile, the driver can focus on driving while operators remotely monitor air con and CCTVs, control CO2 emission levels and air quality, check the total weight of passengers on a given car (HVAC system)...
So Big Brother will instantly know when and where the national sumo team boarded, and if they had gongnameul for lunch.Seoul Village 2011
Interesting thing to find out whether they allow bicycles and what accommodations are made for the handicapped...pregnant...etc...folk.
ReplyDeleteThey do allow bicycles but only on national holidays and on Sundays and only on the first and last car of each train.
ReplyDeleteThe front and rear end seats of each car are reserved for elderly/pregnant and physically challenged persons. There are also some seats in the middle of most cars which are marked as priority for such persons. Anyone can sit there, but if an elderly, pregnant or challenged person is standing, then whoever's in that seat must surrender it.