China Testing Elevated Bus That "Straddles" The Road

Hate getting stuck in traffic? Go above it! On Tuesday in China, the country tested a long-awaited [...]

By Hunter Miller

Hate getting stuck in traffic? Go above it! On Tuesday in China, the country tested a long-awaited elevated bus that straddles the road so traffic can continue below it, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

The bus, nicknamed TEB-1 by the makers at TebTech, is about 70-feet-long and can carry up to 300 passengers. Also, the TEB-1 buses were built with the capability to attach several of them together. While running on electricity and solar power, the new vehicle was designed to alleviate problematic traffic congestion. The first test was conducted in Qinhuangdao City, and was tested on its "braking system, drag and power consumption," according to TebTech.

Chief engineer of the project, Song Youzhou, told CCTV that the TEBs could replace 40 conventional buses once they are completely operational. "The biggest advantage is that the bus will save lots of road space," Youzhou stated.

The bus isn't quite ready for the road as it was limited to a 300m long track during testing. It was only subjected to limited turn and traffic challenges, but is one step closer to going into full service someday in the future.

According to Xinhua, several countries have shown interest in the buses including: Brazil, France, India, and Indonesia. The option would be able to reduce traffic but as much as 30%, and would reportedly be cheaper than the cost of building new subways and other modes of effective public transportation.

Check out the video above to see the TEB-1 in action!

Would you like to see one of these crazy traffic-straddling buses in your city?

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