Catching A (Gliding) Bus In China

With Chinese car ownership soaring and an estimated 20 million new drivers hitting Chinese roads each and every year according to CityLab, you might imagine that air pollution and expansive traffic jams are a major nightmare for the Chinese government. With new regulations and restrictions being put in place at local levels, China is trying to combat the surge of car travel and its associated inevitable congestion. Perhaps just one step towards a greener and more viable future, surely there is still much more that needs to be done, though?

Known for their slow speeds and frequent roadside stops, buses have long been the solution for cities world-over. What if there was a bus that could carry more than a thousand people at any one time, all without taking space away from a road? As publicly exhibited and explained at the 19th International High-Tech Expo in Beijing (China) recently, such an idea might actually be coming to China. Named the 3D Express Coach (or The Straddling Bus more accurately), the vehicle would allow cars (with a 7 metre high clearance from the base of the vehicle and the road) to drive beneath it and not actually require any space on the road, gliding effortlessly along road-side bus route tracks. Such a proposed bus concept is being designed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Company and Transit Explore Bus are currently building a life-size model of the truly innovative design. As fantastical as this all sounds and looks in this article's photo gallery, such an idea is actually being strongly considered in cities like Beijing (China).

Is this the future of China's public transport? Discover more at HsFuture.com.

Photography credit : HsFuture.com