Transit elevated bus undergo road test

Transit Elevated Bus (TEB), a futuristic concept bus wholly developed in China, went through a road test in north China’s Hebei Province, Chinese news agency, Xinhua. reported on Tuesday.

The test in Qinhuangdao City, evaluated the braking system, drag and power consumption, according to Tebtech, a company that helped build the TEB.

The concept bus is the latest attempt aimed at providing ease of movement on notoriously cramped Beijing roads and reduce pollution in a city reputed for having one of  the world’s worst air pollution statistics.

It is supported by two legs that run along rails laid along the roadside, gliding over gridlock at 60 kilometres per hour.

“The biggest advantage is that the bus will save lots of road space,” Song Youzhou, chief engineer of the project told Xinhua in May.

Song said the electricity powered bus is equivalent to 40 conventional buses and can carry up to 1, 400 passengers at a go.

That would represent a potential saving of more than 800 tonnes of fuel a year and a reduction in carbon emissions up to 2,480 tonnes.

Air pollution, occasioned by increasing manufacturing activities, is one of the many hot topics in China that ignite  protests.

Beijing, one of China’s most polluted cities, announced in January it would close 2,500 small highly polluting firms in 2016, Xinhua reported in February. The city also plans to develop a network of ventilation “corridors” to help disperse smog.

The TEB has already attracted interest from governments in Brazil, France, India and Indonesia.