A functioning model of the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) was unveiled at
the 19th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo, where it quickly
became popular.
The proposed bus would span two traffic lanes and carry up to 1,400
passengers in articulated segments, at speeds up to 60 kilometres per
hour.
It would run on special tracks built on either side of the lanes, with 2.1 metres of clearance underneath.
Animations
of the bus show the underside simulating the sky, to make it look less
like a tunnel, while windows in the sides let drivers see out.
Passengers would board and disembark via ramps that unfold and extend
from the sides, and it would have boom gates to stop traffic if
necessary.
The Beijing-based company Transit Explore Bus is
currently building a life-size model in Changzhou and they plan to test
it in July or August, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Chief
engineer Song Youzhou told Xinhua that each elevated bus would take the
place of 40 conventional buses and, because it is designed to run on
electricity, could cut annual fuel consumption by 800 tons and carbon
emissions by almost 2,500 tons.
The model attracted considerable interest at the China Beijing International High-Tech Expo.