China has unveiled a futuristic ‘straddling bus’ that’s capable of driving over other cars stuck in nightmarish traffic jams which has become a notoriety in many Chinese cities. When a video of a mini model of the so called Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) gliding over cars on the road hit the internet in late May this year, it caused great excitement. What was merely a concept has now become reality in just two months.

The prototype that was deployed on the streets of the north-eastern city of Qinhuangdao, about 300km east of Beijing, ran along a 300m-long strip of controlled track. The bus spans the width of two traffic lanes, and rides along two tracks laid on the edges of the two lanes attaining speeds up to 60kmph. The overall height of the bus is about 4.8 meters, while the clearance underneath is about 2 meters, allowing cars to comfortably pass under it. The Transit Elevated Bus can not only avoid traffic congestion, but also reduce it since a lot of jams are caused by regular buses loading and unloading at bus stops.