The most populated country in the world, China, has probably come up with the best response to traffic jam and pollution.
Say hello to the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB), a 1,200-capacity tram-bus hybrid that could be the solution to China's traffic woes. Unveiled at the China Beijing International High-Tech Expo on 22 May, the TEB offers a unique approach to tackling China's notorious traffic jams by allowing passengers to glide over them.
The TEB is an electric-powered public transit system that runs on rails embedded in roads, much like a tram. The vehicle sits high enough off the ground so that other cars can pass beneath it safely, which will help to maximise China's already-limited road space. It's also environmentally-friendly, fuelled by electricity supplemented by solar panels embedded in the roof panels.
Meanwhile, passengers sitting in the carriages above are able to get swiftly from A to B. The 'hover bus' can carry a vast amount of people at once, making it a viable alternative to a subway system. It is also a heck of a lot cheaper to build, costing the fraction of a subway, and its designers claim it could be built in as little as 12 months.
Speaking to news channel CCTV, Bai Zhiming, the engineer in charge of the TEB project, said:
"With a carrying capacity of 1,200 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. Its construction can be finished in one year."
Safety questions however remain. In particular, whether it will present any threat of potential collision with cars, cyclists and pedestrians as well as the height at which it will pass over vehicles. The scale model passed hair-raisingly close with no safety barriers in place, while high-sided vans, trucks and buses might also be problematic.
The first tests of the TEB are scheduled to take place in Qinhuangdao City, in northeast China's Hebei Province, in the second half of 2016.
This seems potentially quite cool although in the video it seems like it maybe has some big rails built for it that take up quite a lot of road space? Are the rails part of this or are they something else?
As a car driver, I don't want something to appear on top of my head suddenly and unaware. It is not a good idea in general, when consider traffic safety. There are many lousy drivers like me. Car crash with this giant is unavoidable.
If it made some sort of noise to make you aware of it so you could stay put then it could probably avoid crashes just detecting if anything was blocking its path. Anyone with a couple of bikes on the roof might get an interesting surprise though.
That may be better. To be honest, I would love to take a ride as a passenger.
I had the same thought. It is very futuristic though, so perhaps it is for a time of driverless cars.
Hopefully there is a mechanism that prohibits large vehicles from joining that highway.
Will it will come with a sign?
Arms lost to date : 24
Heads lost to date : 01
I'm pretty sure while in theory this would work great... You're likely going to end up with some serious casualties at some point with a system like this..
Cars today result in numerous serious casualties. I say kudos to them for experimenting.