Auto safety is an important subject, and yet many commuters ignore the risks associated with taking large, inefficient means of transportation like buses or trains to work every day. Many who drive to work usually dread the bumper to bumper experience and often hope to beat the traffic by either leaving early or finding new ways navigate the busy roads. But if mass means of transportation such as buses were designed differently and vehicles could drive under it, would things be better?
A Chinese company seems to think so. And the release of its first Transit Elevated Bus shows us that, in theory at least, the idea works. The only problem is: it could be hard to put it in practice here in the United States.
According to the several reports covering this story, the vehicle known as TEB-1, or Transit Elevated Bus made its debut in the Chinese province of Qinhuangdao on Tuesday. During the launch, the bus rolled over two lanes of traffic standing about 16 feet tall so that other vehicles could drive below it.
The TEB-1 is still not being mass-produced, and while it looks good in its debut video, it’s hard to see how this type of bus would work in an urban center in the United States.
Experts say that the vehicle is able to hover above midsize sedans easily, but what about SUVs? Once this product is brought to America, serious changes will have to be applied so the bus is, indeed, useful to the American commuter.
So far, the “flying” bus is capable of holding up to 300 riders. But the bus itself lacks seating arrangements, making the device hard to use by users who need to travel great distances.
Nevertheless, the promise of having a new technology such as this helping us to commute more safely and efficiently could help countless members of the workforce, minimizing the risk of crashes, and making travel more accessible to everyone.
If you’re curious to know more about this bus, you may watch the video below or click here for more details.
