Elevated bus will allow cars to pass underneath
Getting stuck in a traffic jam can be one of the most frustrating parts of travelling around a busy city.
Now, engineers in China, the world's most populated country, have come up with a way to overcome the problem of getting around in traffic. Designs for a new elevated bus were unveiled at the 19th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo. Called the Transit Elevated Bus, it will apparently be able to carry 1200 passengers and let traffic pass beneath it.
The scale model of the Transit Elevated Bus was demonstrated at the tech expo, showing how passengers sit far above other vehicles on the road.
In a model of the vehicle, it appears to run on a set of fixed rails embedded on the road. It means the vehicle is more like a cross between a tram and a bus. Engineers hope the design will increase the availability of the road space, and cause fewer traffic jams than regular buses.
It is also expected to save costs compared to other public transport options, such as the subway.
“With a carrying capacity of 1200 people at a time, the TEB has the same functions as the subway while its cost of construction is less than one fifth that of the subway,” said Bai Zhiming, engineer in charge of the TEB project, during an interview with CCTV News.
“Its construction can be finished in one year,” he added.
The first tests of the bus are scheduled to start trail operation in Qinhuangdao City, in north China's Hebei Province, in the second half of this year.
This means the buses could be in place by the end of the year.
-Daily Mail