The first was the sixth annual Intelligent Transport Systems Congress - a world gathering of more than 2000 concerned parties bought together to find solutions to transportation needs.
The conclusion of that congress was that the motor car would continue to be the primary source of transportation for individuals.
The outtake is that a requisite of future solutions is the retention of personal transportation and of the maximum flexibility it provides.
Mobility is in fact regarded as a natural right of the individual.
The second event was the Australian public launch of Prius, Toyota’s petrol-electric hybrid vehicle.
Prius is the world’s first commercially available hybrid.
It halves emissions and doubles fuel economy.
More than 70,000 have already been sold, principally in the US and Japan.
They are now available in eleven world markets and Toyota is gearing for 300,000 sales a year by 2004.
The development of hugely intelligent, interactive on-board computers has enabled this five seat car which is quite normal in operation, to come to market.