Company proposes 3D bus to beat jams

 

Rendering of the bus on the road

 

By Huang Daohen

To beat increasing traffic congestion and carbon emissions, a Shenzhen company is putting forward a new solution: a vehicle that runs above all others.

Called a “straddling bus,” the futuristic vehicle is extra wide and tall and takes up no road space, as its passenger compartment allows cars to pass underneath, its developer Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment said.

The bus spans two traffic lanes and runs on solar and electric power generated by panels on its roof. It travels at an average speed of 40 kilometers per hour.

The bus would be green, unaffected by congestion and requires far less to build than a light rail or subway system.

Song Youzhou, president of Huashi and owner of the superbus’ patent, said the project is expected to reduce traffic jams by 25 to 30 percent on major roads. Song, who called the bus the “3D Express,” said the idea came to him when he was stuck in a traffic jam last year.

“Why isn’t there a vehicle on the roads driving over the others? There is so much space above us,” Song said.

Song’s 3D Express debuted at the Beijing International High-Tech Expo in May and gained public attention. Though the project still has a few technical problems to overcome, Song said he received many inquiries from transport officials in several countries.

Beijing will be the first city to test the project. Mentougou District said it plans to start building a 9-kilometer route this year.

“The design is in line with our concept of green transportation and our vision of the future,” said an official surnamed Zhang in the district. “Though we are still waiting on approval from the municipal government, we hope to start construction and operation as soon as possible.”

Zhang said a 100-kilometer route will be put in place across the city if the test is successful.

Huashi said the cost of construction is about 50 million yuan for a 25-mile network. The vehicles will be built by the China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock.

Not everyone is convinced the project is operationally and commercially viable. “The notion of cars proceeding underneath a moving bus sounds crazy. The success of the project is, in large part, dependent on the willingness of drivers to actually drive under the bus,” said Wang Jin, an editor at Auto magazine.

“The one thing you can’t control is other drivers on the road, and they are the biggest risk,” he said.