The 3D Express Coach, also called an elevated high-speed bus, was designed by Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment. It will cost 10 percent of what it would be to build an equivalent subway system. (Photo: Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment)
China Rolling Out Mammoth Bus
New "straddling bus" drives over other cars while on the road
Traffic jams are becoming a serious problem in China, where more people are moving to cities and buying cars than ever before. With clogged roads and pollution in mind, Chinese inventors have created a bus big enough to drive over both problems.
The first 3D Express Coach, nicknamed the "straddling bus," is scheduled to be tested later this year in Beijing, China's capital city. Just how big is this bus? Each one can carry as many as 1,200 passengers at a time.
The 3D Express Coach straddles both sides of the road and rides over other cars. There's enough space below the bus to allow smaller cars to drive underneath it at a normal pace. That way, more people can use city roads without adding to traffic.
Critics have expressed concern over how many lives would be endangered if an accident occurs. But officials in many Chinese cities are eager to install 3D Express Coach routes on their busiest roads. Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment, the company that created the bus, claims its invention could reduce traffic problems by 30 percent.
Unlike most buses, these do not use gasoline. Instead, solar panels on each bus's roof and at each bus stop help power the vehicle. Electricity is used as an alternative energy source.
One straddling bus can carry as many people as 40 normal buses! Huashi Future Parking claims that each straddling bus could prevent 2,640 tons of carbon emissions every year by using clean energy like electricity from solar power. If successful, this big bus could be a big win for the environment.
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