An innovative bus project may have found a way to overcome China’s constant traffic jam problems as the country would soon test prototypes of the public transport that could literally drive over cars.
The New York Times caught word of an impressive new project in China which aims to improve public transportation experience in the country.
According to the outlet, the project particularly targets the dilemma on traffic gridlock by developing a so-called "straddling bus."
Aside from traffic, the project is also expected to alleviate Chinese cities' air pollution problem, as it would promote smog-free public transport to people who currently use air-conditioned private vehicles to avoid inhaling the dirty air.
The "Straddling Bus"
China's straddling bus was first introduced in 2010 by the Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment, per a previous report by the NY Times.
According to the report, the vehicle looks more like a train than a bus despite its name, as it is expected to be able to carry up to 1,200 passengers.
The only difference between a train and the straddling bus is that the latter requires a pair of fence-like stilts instead of tracks or tunneling.
The stilts hold up the main body of the bus where the passengers are housed. Each stilt would be sitting six meters or about 20 feet apart, allowing the vehicle to pass two traffic lanes even in a traffic jam.
According to Popular Science, the straddling bus is expected to run 37 miles or 60 kilometers per hour without any hitch.
The website also revealed that the prototype being manufactured by the Transit Explore Bus company is scheduled for testing any time between July and August.
Affordable Solution to Air Pollution and Traffic
Because of its innovative and solution-oriented nature, the project received positive feedback all over China, especially in the urban areas where air pollution and traffic are considered major problems.
Aside from Beijing, Qinhuangdao, Nanyang, Tianjin, Shenyang and Zhoukou have already expressed their interest in the project.
PopSci said the straddling bus project helps alleviate traffic and air pollution since it can be a viable option for car owners to patronize public transport once again, minimizing private vehicles on the streets and carbon emissions in the air.
Each bus, which is estimated to be worth 30 million renminbi or about $4.5 million, can also be considered a very affordable option considering that it is designed to run on existing roads and would not require any more digging for new subway systems.