@ A system using light beams for effecting guidance of a transport vehicle over a surface among a plurality of station terminals, includes at least one transport vehicle movable over the surface; light barriers divide the surface into a plurality of contiguous elemental zones. Sensing the passage of a vehicle across a boundary between two contiguous zones. light signal generators emit light signals identifying each zone occupied by a vehicle and identifying the location of each terminal. Logic circuitry connected between the barriers and said light signal generators control the light signals identifying each zone in response to passage of a vehicle across a boundary; a photoelectric receiver carrier by the vehicle senses light signals produced by the light signal generators and produces electrical signals representative of the light signals; a vehicle movement control circuit carried by the vehicle and connected to receive the electrical signal from the photoelectric receiver controls vehicular movement.