A new mode of transport pioneered by the Chinese may look bizarre but it’s actually helping alleviate a massive traffic problem.
The odd vehicles are known as “straddling buses” and can carry up to 1,400 passengers.
Unlike conventional buses or trams, straddling buses have a hollowed out middle allowing smaller cars to pass through. They appear to look like a mobile tunnel and frankly like they’d be a lot of fun.
City Lab reports that the company behind the buses estimate that each one can cut fuel consumption by 800 tons and carbon emissions by 2,500 tons.
The bus would take up two lanes and run on special tracks but eliminates the need for overhead tram lines or underground excavation. Most impressively, however, it would run on electricity and take the place of 40 buses.
The huge buses look like something out of the transformers, but if they reduce our carbon footprint, we’re all for them.
Song Youzhou, an engineer from the company leading the development, Transit Explore Bus, says the first tests on a life-size model could take place in July or August in the Chinese province of Changzhou. That means we can expect their arrival in Ireland sometime between 3010-3016.
