For millions of people sitting in a traffic jam or standing on a crowded train, the daily commute (通勤) probably isn’t the best part of their day. But cars and trains aren’t the only travel options.

Electric vehicles

For those who have a short commute, you could consider getting an electric bike or scooter. An electric scooter has the advantage of being highly portable (轻便的): small and light enough to carry to your office. You’ll just need to check if it is allowed to be used in your area.

Take RYNO for example. It’s a single-wheel electric scooter, whose highest speed is about that of a bicycle. And like other electric vehicles, it can be charged anywhere.

WalkCar

If you want transportation for short distances, the WalkCar might be perfect for you.

The WalkCar looks like a laptop and only weighs three kilograms. It’s also incredibly easy to use — stand on it and it will start to move; move your weight to one side and it will change its direction. The WalkCar will take you at a speed of up to 10 kilometers per hour and can travel 12 kilometers on one charge.

Jetpacks

Weighing around 200 kilograms, jetpacks aren’t exactly portable, but they’re sure to have a lot of fun and attract a lot of attention. Running on petrol, the jet engines allow the users to lift off from the ground and fly in the air.

The world’s first jetpack is the Martin Jetpack. Once you’ve attached this tiny personal jet plane onto your back, you’ll be able to travel up to 50 kilometers at a height of 1,000 meters. With a price tag of about $150,000, this is probably the most expensive option, but it will almost certainly be the coolest!

London Underground

The world's first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.

The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.

Japan is starting to experiment with self-driving buses in rural (乡村的) communities, such as the town of Nishikata, where the elderly are living a hard life because of fewer bus and taxi services as the population ages and becomes smaller.

The advance of the self-driving technology is making cities such as Paris and Singapore experiment with such services, which could prove important in Japan, where populations are not only graying, but becoming smaller, in rural areas.

Japan could start the self-driving services for communities that are far from cities by 2020, if the experiments begun this month prove successful.

The government plans to turn highway rest stops into centers from which to drive the elderly to medical and banking services.

“Smaller towns in Japan are graying even faster than cities, and there are just not enough workers to drive buses and taxis,” said Hiroshi Nakajima of mobile gaming software maker DeNA Co.

In the initial (最初的) experiments, the elderly of Nishikata were sent from a service area to some organizations providing healthcare services.

“I worry about not being able to go out when I’m no longer able to drive,” said one test rider, Shizu Yuzawa, adding that she would be open to using such services.

The test also checked the vehicle’s safety in road conditions, and if those crossing its path would react to the warning it gives.

The ride, at a speed of about 10 kilometers per hour, felt comfortable and safe, said test taker Mieko Shimazaki, 71, but her 72-year-old husband, Susumu, said, “Self-driving cars could be useful in the future, but I’d like to see them go faster, at least at 40 kilometers per hour.”