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A prototype
of the Transit Elevated Bus. CreditLuo Xiaoguang/Xinhua, via Associated Press
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BEIJING — If you’re driving in a Chinese city in the
none-too-distant future and your car is engulfed in a metallic belly, don’t panic. It may feel like
an alien abduction, but probably it’s only a colossal, street-straddling bus.
The idea of a bus so large, high and long that it could
virtually levitate above congested streets seemed surreal when presented at an
expo in Beijing in May. But it came a step closer to reality this week,
when a prototype went for an experimental spin in Qinhuangdao, a seaside city
in northern China.
The makers of the vehicle, known as the Transit Elevated
Bus, declared the ride down a few hundred yards of street on Tuesday a success,
but the controlled conditions hardly reflected the unpredictability of Chinese
traffic.
“I wanted to
officially show people that this is entirely possible and that the bus can be up
and running. We inspected and tested the vehicle for a range of functions, like
ignition, braking and other processes, to see if they all work together and
there are no problems,” Mr. Song, the designer of the elevated bus, said in a
telephone interview from Qinhuangdao.
But a full trial run will not take place until the middle of
next year in a city in central China.
To supporters, floating buses offer a solution to the
traffic that chokes China’s cities. The prototype is 72 feet long and 26 feet
wide. Most important, it is 16 feet high, creating room for a tunnel more than
6 feet high between the wheels for cars. Commuters will be able to float above
two lanes of traffic, whisked on rails from one specially built elevated stop to
another.
“The invention of the Transit Elevated Bus is considered as
a revolution for the environment-friendly public transportation.No more traffic
jams,” the maker of the bus, TEB Technology, says. with some optimism.
But skeptics say the bus is a magnificent example of a
solution to a problem that is likely to create even more problems.
After the test run on Tuesday, China’s internet filled with
questions. How will the bus negotiate turns? What about the many drivers who
jump in and out of lanes? What about vehicles like trucks that are too large to
fit under the bus? How will the giant buses use the bridges and overpasses in
the capital city?
Mr. Song said that a full bus will have four connected
carriages and be able to carry 1,200 passengers, which may make getting on and
off an adventure in itself.
Turning at broad intersections will not pose a problem, Mr.
Song added. The cars underneath the bus will come to a stop and wait while the
bus curved the corner.
“Underneath the bus, traffic lights will be coordinated with
the traffic lights on the road so that cars are notified,” he said.
But Mr. Song had something to reassure people worried about
the new technology.
“At the moment, we can’t use driverless technology on the
bus,” he said. “We have to have humans at the wheel.”
You can also watch this video by clicking on the Play Button
edtited from The New York Times
