While PRT is a fun concept to imagine, in reality it has a few of issues.
Low capacity, even if you were to run your pods together like trains, the capacity would still be far below that of even a bus, this is due to the limited seating in the pods and the required headway between the pods.
Security, a PRT pod is basically a movable locked room with a few seats in it, a young woman or child would be very vulnarable if they were alone with a sexual predator in the pod for a long ride. The dangers are not limited to women and children, but everyone is more vulnerable alone in a PRT pod with a stranger than on a bus with more strangers.
Manufacturer lock in, there are no general standards for PRT systems, meaning that any PRT system built will be locked in with a specific manufacturer, everything from track gauge and rail profile to signaling and control systems, to pods and security systems will need to be supplied by a single company, and it will be extremely hard to get another manufacturer to even agree to make replacements, let alone accomplish that. Busses and trains have standards to follow, but even if you have an odd track gauge or rail profile there are manufacturers who can deal with it, so you can get equipment from other manufacturers and be able to keep costs somewhat in check.
Ok, so lets consider the cost a solved issue, we still have the issue with security and capacity to deal with, both of which are dealbreakers on their own.
While PRT is a fun concept to imagine, in reality it has a few of issues.
Low capacity, even if you were to run your pods together like trains, the capacity would still be far below that of even a bus, this is due to the limited seating in the pods and the required headway between the pods.
Security, a PRT pod is basically a movable locked room with a few seats in it, a young woman or child would be very vulnarable if they were alone with a sexual predator in the pod for a long ride. The dangers are not limited to women and children, but everyone is more vulnerable alone in a PRT pod with a stranger than on a bus with more strangers.
Manufacturer lock in, there are no general standards for PRT systems, meaning that any PRT system built will be locked in with a specific manufacturer, everything from track gauge and rail profile to signaling and control systems, to pods and security systems will need to be supplied by a single company, and it will be extremely hard to get another manufacturer to even agree to make replacements, let alone accomplish that. Busses and trains have standards to follow, but even if you have an odd track gauge or rail profile there are manufacturers who can deal with it, so you can get equipment from other manufacturers and be able to keep costs somewhat in check.
I was thinking one searer pods, and they could use a system such as MIL spec to bring in manufacturers. Let the government keep the patents.
Ok, so lets consider the cost a solved issue, we still have the issue with security and capacity to deal with, both of which are dealbreakers on their own.