China’s Elevated Bus The Future Of Transport?

The economic boom in China during the previous decade led to rapid urbanization that caused many problems, and long traffic jams were only one of them. However, it seems that Asia’s biggest economy may be on the verge of tackling at least that problem.

According to a report in Chinese news agency Xinhua, a futuristic elevated bus — called TEB-1, for transit elevated bus — was tested on the streets of Qinhuangdao in the country’s northern Hebei province Tuesday. “The 22-meter-long [72 feet], 7.8-meter-wide and 4.8-meter-high TEB-1 can carry up to 300 passengers,” the report added.

The underside of the passenger compartment of TEB-1 is about 7 feet above the road, allowing cars and other low-clearance vehicles to drive underneath it as it appear to straddle the road. The test conducted on Tuesday “evaluated the braking system, drag and power consumption” of the futuristic vehicle.

According to reports, the bus will be capable of traveling at about 40 miles per hour when it launches. Photos show two rounded seats in the middle of the compartment and rows of seats along both sides, leaving a lot of space in the compartment for passengers to stand. The bus itself has traffic lights on all four corners on the outside.

If successful, TEB will not just cut down transit time in the crowded metropolises of China while looking cool, but also reduce fuel consumption and pollution. Other countries, such as Brazil, France, India and Indonesia have shown interest in TEB, according to Xinhua.