Eugene Tuijnman, Chief Executive Officer, SLTN Inter Access
Working closely together with 2getthere, we see the growing global demand for this unique solution.
Strategic Cooperation
Eugene Tuijnman, CEO of SLTN Inter Access and Carel van Helsdingen, CEO of 2getthere, reconfirmed their strategic cooperation agreement 5 years after the initial agreement. The cooperation concerns the realization of 2getthere’s innovative automated people mover systems, with SLTN Inter Access designing and providing the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) network.
The cooperation between SLTN Inter Access and 2getthere dates back to 2008, when the companies originally contracted for the design, realization and support of the ICT system for the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) application at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. 2getthere’s driverless systems are the first automated people movers operating on a flat road bed without any physical guidance (rail). Although they resemble autonomous cars closely, and even share technology, the systems (for now) still operate on a dedicated track to ensure throughput can be maintained. Thus far more than 1.4 million people have been transported using this PRT system.
Eugene Tuijnman: ‘Working closely together with 2getthere, we see the growing global demand for this unique solution. With our expertise in information and communication technology, our knowledge and expertise in supplying state-of-the-art and moreover very secure and reliable ICT systems, we know we make an important contribution to the systems realized by 2getthere.’
Prospects on the horizon
The PRT system at Masdar achieves an up-time (system availability) of 99.96%,since 2008 up to now, underlining the stability of the system and related ICT infrastructure and design. From the perspective of 2getthere the continued cooperation was a logical step, indicates Carel van Helsdingen: ‘From the state-of-art ICT design and support during realization of the Masdar project to the responsiveness during operations, the cooperation with SLTN has been successful. Both parties speak the same language and know what to expect from each other, allowing us to concentrate on the project realization and getting the job done.’
At the signing of the reconfirmed cooperation, Eugene Tuijnman and Carel van Helsdingen expressed looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship for both companies. ‘There are several exciting global projects on the horizon and we look forward to signing contracts for them short term and delivering this innovative solution.’, indicated Carel van Helsdingen. The new GRT vehicle has been offered for applications in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Reactions from the market with regards to both the design and the capabilities have been very positive.