'Uber in the sky' demo on way in Queenstown
Whoosh chief executive Dr Chris Allington said it would begin operating as soon as the middle of next year, and more information would be released soon.
"Within the next few weeks, we'll be cutting ribbons and starting to dig holes."
He told an audience at the Electrify Queenstown trade show yesterday the on-demand system, which moves fully-electric, self-driving cabins around an elevated cable network, could solve the resort town's traffic congestion issues.
The company unveiled a working prototype at its Christchurch base last September after six years of development.
The demo system, which was being jointly funded by Whoosh and Remarkables Park Ltd, would have all its key features including cabins for four or five people, stations and an app.
It would give residents the opportunity to experience it and provide feedback.
"We'll then make it better, and hopefully we can work with the team and deliver something down here."
The company had mapped out a 50-station network that linked the resort's town centre to Frankton and the eastern and southern suburbs.
It already had projects under way in the United States and the first, in a 485ha park in the city of Irvine, California, was expected to be operating by the end of next year.
It was also working on projects in Japan and the Middle East.
Dr Allington said a Whoosh system had many advantages over a gondola system.
It could disperse its users across a greater number of smaller stations, avoiding the queues likely at peak commuter times with a gondola system's fewer, larger stations.
Its modular nature allowed it to be expanded as demand required.
"You can form three-dimensional networks in your cities which fit in the existing urban spaces.
"You're no longer stuck with straight lines and a limited number of stops."
Whoosh was not the only mass transportation system being touted for Queenstown yesterday, which also featured a talk by Doppelmayr New Zealand chief executive Garreth Hayman.
Doppelmayr NZ is working with tech entrepreneur Rod Drury and former Infrastructure Commission chief executive Ross Copland on a gondola system designed to move 3000 people an hour.
The first stage, estimated to cost $250m, would run from the town centre up to a Queenstown Hill station, along to a Lake Johnson station, down to the Frankton bus hub, then on to the airport.
Part of the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago district councils' regional deal submission, the plan's backers hope to have it operating by late 2028.
Dr Allington told the Otago Daily Times a gondola "solves one problem, but not every problem", and could co-exist with Whoosh.
If a Whoosh system was wanted for Queenstown, his company would be "very happy" to build one.
"If not, we've got plenty of projects to keep us busy."
guy.williams@odt.co.nz
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