The production of China's futuristic straddling bus will begin this week, with a scheduled test drive scheduled for next month.

The futuristic Transit Elevated Bus was first introduced in May at the 19th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo. With the new concept, bus passengers will be able to ride above, while small vehicles can pass underneath the bus' hollow space, thus easing traffic congestion, improving the use of limited road space, and reducing air pollution. The elevated bus will run on rails installed along the roadside.

Like Us on Facebook

The prototype of the futuristic bus has a single car measuring 22 meters long, 7.8 meters wide and 4.8 meters high. The soon-to-be-released straddling bus will look like a train, with four single cars being connected. The first model will be produced by Jinchuang Corp.

According to Song Youzhou, its chief engineer, the bus will be partly made of glass to "make passengers feel less confined." It can load around 1,200 people. The bus can run at 60 kilometers per hour, and is operated by electric power.

He revealed that producing the elevated bus is five times cheaper than building an equivalent subway, and it would only take a year to be completed.

After the elevated bus was introduced to the public in May, there were varying reactions from Chinese netizens. Some were positive about the new upcoming project, saying "We Chinese finally came up with something original for once." On the other hand, some have expressed concerns. One user noted that it would be difficult to "drive under a moving tunnel" as the driver would be "unable to see the street lights."

Tagschina, Straddling Bus, China Beijing International High-Tech Expo, Transit Elevated Bus, Tunnel Bus, Song Youzhou, Jinchuang Corp.