China’s Elevated Bus: Carries 300 Passengers, Drives Over Traffic

China has finally come through with one of the more ridiculous ideas that have been circulating the web for years. A bus that sits several feet off the ground, high enough to drive right over other vehicles and beat the congested streets with sheer elevation; this is an idea that has become a reality with the TEB-1. The prototype has just been unleashed on the streets of China, which could herald the new age of public transport.

As Tech Crunch notes, rumors about a bus in China that can cruise right over other vehicles has been around for years and have been proven false time and again. However, with the unveiling of the TEB-1 or “Transit Elevated Bus” in Qinhuangdao City, it seems China actually took the concept seriously.

The test conducted in the Chinese city was meant to see how well the brakes and power consumption of the bus would perform. The bus is powered only be electricity, so this seems to be another attempt by the Asian giant to prove that they are serious in trying to dampen the effects of carbon emissions in their nation.

From front to back, the TEB-1 is 72-ft in length, is 25-ft in width and can carry as many as 300 passengers at any given time. The width of the bus can span several lanes, which can help it drive over congested traffic and can set the lanes that are meant only for the bus.

This is the much cheaper option for China, Gizmodo notes, as subways or even elevated train tracks will be a lot more expensive by several hundred million dollars. Adding a fleet of the elevated bus will also help alleviate the constant congestion that is a huge problem in China, provided they can plan the routes appropriately and set the rules accordingly.