Futurology

Forget the interesting though possibly diversionary National Express Bling my Coach competition. What about one that allows you to design a coach of the future rather than a livery for an existing one? There’s something Gerry Anderson & TV Century 21 about the soon-to-close Future of the Coach competition. Remember those 1960s projections of travel in the 21st century? There was the sky ramp launched XL5 patrol rocket, the impossible but anything-but-toylike Thunderbird 2, and Captain Blue’s SPV, driven 'backwards' by videoscreen.

The Future of the Coach competition lays before an international audience 12 UK undergraduate designs as to how coaching might develop in years to come. Some are wacky, some ingenious, some meritorious. The site allows multiple voting by awarding each of the designs between one and five stars.

Aside from the votes you and I may cast, judges will also assess the value and excellence of each. Though some may look impractical, there will no doubt be elements of each that the industry might find worth pursuing. And isn’t that the real value of competitions such as these?


It’s certainly not just about appearances. As well as the popular vote, judges will consider safety, economy, comfort, entertainment and more.


Leaving aside the XL5 and SPV, 40 years ago futurology was busily presenting us with images of a new era in mobility via personal helicopters. It’s as well the personal whirlybird has yet to materialise. They also predicted computers that would 'talk' to each other to access information at a touch of a button and large, flat TVs that would be installed at home on a wall.

Who knows where the future of PSV design might take us. After all, we do have ftr and the Optare Rapta. Not to mention the possibilities of the new Routemaster.

i The Future of the Coach webiste ~ Bling my Coach