China unveils elevated bus that allows cars to pass under it

Transit Elevated Bus, which accommodates up to 300 passengers, runs on electricity and has the top speed of 40-50kmph

Finally, China made it. Six years after it was introduced as a unique idea to reduce the traffic congestion on roads, China unveiled a straddling bus that let cars drive under it.

On Monday, China started testing a futuristic elevated bus in Hebei province's Qinhuangdao city. The futuristic bus, called Transit Elevated Bus or TEB, features a massive cabin that can accommodate up to 300 passengers and rises well above the height of most other vehicles.



The bus is 22 metres long, 7.8 metres wide (which would cover almost two lanes) and 4.8 metres tall. Vehicles less than two metres tall can pass under it as height of the bus was kept low considering the existing bridges in the country. It has 16 tired wheels and is guided by eight pairs of rail wheels. The TEB runs on electricity and has the top speed of 40-50kmph but during the trial it moved really slowly on its 300-metre track.



If test runs are successful and the vehicle gets a green signal, it could help ease traffic congestion a fair bit.

Earlier in May, Song You Zhou, the inventor and chief engineer of the TEB, while talking to WCC Daily said that the vehicle would be market ready in a year to a year and a half.



However, people are still sceptical about the feasibility of the vehicle as the test-run didn't exactly simulate real world traffic conditions with just one bus carriage on a controlled track of only 300 meters in length.



The article originally appeared on Engadget

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments section below.