Chinese bus eats cars

Traffic congestion is a mounting problem in cities right around the globe, and the issue is extreme in China. So much so that local company TEBtech has developed and now built a new public transport system that flows over the top of civilian traffic.

Dubbed the Transit Elevated Bus, or TEB, the curious transport solution has a claimed top speed of 60km/h and runs on rails. With room for 300 passengers, the TEB carriage is a cross between a bus and train and measures 22 metres long and 7.8 metres wide – roughly two car lanes wide.

It has a 2.1 metre clearance underneath it – roughly the same as most underground garages – and is designed to sail serenely over traffic snarls. In doing so, it avoids the pitfalls of trams that often have to wait for cars to move, and it doesn't take up much space either.

Lateral ramps extend from the sides of the TEB to allow passengers access from street level.

The latest solution to combat traffic congestion has been built in Hebei province, at Qinhuandao City, after it was demonstrated via scale model at the 2016 Beijing International High-Tech Expo in May.

This first trial was conducted on a 300m section of test track and although it featured some mild corners, it remains to be seen what happens when a car underneath wants to turn and cannot.

Another issue for the TEB may be its limited height. It could be struck by an errant truck that misjudges the vehicle's height, as often happens with low bridges in Australia.