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Wednesday 3 August 2016

Futuristic Bus That Drives Above Car Traffic Goes On Test Run In China (PHOTOS+ VIDEOS)

© xhpfm.mobile.zhongguowangshi.com
Via - RT

Chinese engineers have made every city dweller's dream come true, building an elevated bus that can drive above car traffic. The straddling Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) went on its first road test on Tuesday in Qinhuangdao City.



After the globe with a toy-size model in May, TEB inventors surprised everyone by building the actual gargantuan vehicle in less than one month.
© xhpfm.mobile.zhongguowangshi.com
The environmentally-friendly bus is powered by electricity and solar energy generated by panels in its roof. The whole vehicle, designed to maximize the use of road space, is some 22 meters long and 8 meters wide, which makes it able to blanket multiple lanes of traffic. One bus can carry up to 300 passengers, but developers plan to use it as a Metro system of four adjoining cars at a time or more. Fitting up to 1,200 passengers at a time, the futuristic machine can solve both the problems caused by overpopulation and traffic jams.

Tuesday’s test run was conducted by just one bus carriage, which went on a controlled track of some 300 meters in length, testing brakes and power consumption. Although the first drive didn't exactly simulate real road traffic conditions, it certainly fascinated its lucky first passengers. And why wouldn’t it? Everyone loves a sci-fi fantasy-brought-to-life. 
The public reaction to the new invention was quite varied, however. 
While a great many expressed fascination, some more practical web users have been cautious with praise, pointing out potential problems that developers apparently failed to take into consideration.

@XHNews @aparanjape this is actually quite brilliant. it's like making every road a two-tier road without actually building a second tier.
@narayan140 @XHNews @aparanjape agree - though bridges/tunnels will need to be modified
How the bus will go under bridges is one. How it will go over big trucks and other buses is another. Some wondered if new lanes will have to be built for the giant vehicle to fit over highways. Others waved off the idea of an elevated vehicle, suggesting flying buses would have been much handier…
One thing is clear: TEB  is sure to beat the glory of old faithful UK double-deckers when it’s finally ready for mainstream daily use. Or is it?

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