PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: NOW IN 3D

[defrog]

ITEM [via dinopollard ]: The Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company is developing a "3D Express Coach" that will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel underneath the upper level carrying passengers.

Like so.



The idea is meant as an alternative to spending millions to widen roads in order to ease congestion on city roads:

It is 4-4.5 m high with two levels: passengers board on the upper level while other vehicles lower than 2 m can go through under. Powered by electricity and solar energy, the bus can speed up to 60 km/h carrying 1200-1400 passengers at a time without blocking other vehicles' way. Also it costs about 500 million yuan to build the bus and a 40-km-long path for it, only 10% of building equivalent subway. It is said that the bus can reduce traffic jams by 20-30%.

I recommend the video (available here with translation if you need it).

Is it plausible? Search me. Even if the actual bus system works, my experience with Chinese vehicle traffic suggests that a lot of drivers will find ways to ensure it adds to the congestion rather than alleviates it.

But who am I to be critical? It LOOKS cool. And here is my Def Pledge to you: if they ever build it, I will ride it the next time I go to Beijing.

Under the bus,

This is dF

Comments

[thelastaerie.livejournal.com]

It looks like something that belongs to the prequel of Blade Runner... the "moving tunnel" will take some getting used to. I wonder how it will look on non-straight roads?

[drhoz.livejournal.com]

They had them in 2000AD first. And I'm predicting exactly what would happen the first time someone forgets how tall their truck is