This is the straddling bus: a unique and effective approach to public transport revealed at the 19th high tech international expo and thought up by a Beijing based company.
It aims to shorten traffic time, lower carbon emissions and provide cost-effective and convenient public transport.
The straddling bus is completely electric and with a width of 7,8 m, height of 4,8 m and length of 60,6 m, it’s able to fit comfortably over two lanes while carting up to 1 400 passengers inside. Motorists, meanwhile, simply drive beneath it, provided their cars are shorter than 2,8 m (Infiniti QX80 owners are safe).
Being powered by electricity, through powerpoint poles positioned along the road, the straddling bus could replace up to 40 conventional busses, thus saving 800 tonnes of fuel and preventing 2 480 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. In addition to this, the straddling bus only costs 16% of a traditional subway system to produce and run.
Many cities in China are already showing interest, with one example already rumoured to be under production.
Here’s a video to fill you in on what the project is all about:
