China’s futuristic concept: A bus that drives over cars

       

A Chinese company seems to have come up with a solution to fight the country’s crippling traffic jams and deadly pollution through an elevated bus that can ‘straddle’ cars.

Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co Ltd unveiled the concept and functioning model of the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB), that will remain unaffected by the traffic on the road, earlier this month at an annual technology expo in Beijing.

“Straddling bus can reduce up to 25-30% traffic jams on main routes. Running at an average 40 km/h, it can take 1,200 people at a time, which means 300 passengers per cart,” the company’s chairperson Song Youzhou said.

The bus, that can take the place of 40 conventional buses, would run on special tracks built on either side of the lanes, with 2.1 metres of clearance underneath.

“... the TEB has the same functions as the subway while its cost of construction is less than one-fifth of the subway. Its construction can be finished in one year,” Bai Zhiming, an engineer in charge of the TEB project, told China’s Central Television network.

It could cut the annual fuel consumption by 800 tonnes and carbon emissions by 2,500 tonnes as it is designed to run on electricity.

“Our first test bus is planned to be put on track in north China’s Qinhuangdao City at the end of July or in August,” Youzhou, who is also the project’s chief engineer, said.

The concept of ‘straddling bus’ was first exhibited in the 13th Beijing International High-tech Expo in May 2010.