China Plans Huge Buses That Can DRIVE OVER Cars

[gromit]

My coworker just sent me this. It looks like they're planning to begin construction by the end of this year... I'm really curious to see if it actually happens and, if it does, how the system actually operates in real life. Oh China, if any place can pull something like this off, it is you. The transportation nerd inside of me really hopes you do.

3D Express Coach: China Plans Huge Buses That Can DRIVE OVER Cars

Be sure to check out the slideshow images at the bottom of the article.

 

[JocktheMotie]

I pictured a bus with monster truck wheels! And was thinking it's a great solution to the Fung-Wah buses flipping over all the time.

 

[Aquarelle]

I saw this too... pretty cool idea, but.... well, what if the road turns?

 

[gromit]

I pictured a bus with monster truck wheels! And was thinking it's a great solution to the Fung-Wah buses flipping over all the time.

I like that imagery. I actually love taking the Fung Wah. So many... characters... on that bus. Heheheh.

I saw this too... pretty cool idea, but.... well, what if the road turns?

I imagine it would be the same as if a railroad track turns. Only the wheels actually need to be in contact with the tracks. I would be curious to see some more of the design side of it rather than just the pretty renderings. You have to admit, though, the renderings ARE pretty.

 

[Aquarelle]

But I mean, the bus is straight, and the cars below it would be on a curvy road.... so wouldn't the bus hit them? Maybe it the bus were segmented like a train it would work....

I'm sure they have all that stuff worked out though. Cool idea.

 

[Halla74]

I'm sure they have all that stuff worked out though. Cool idea.

I hope it works better than the Seattle Monorail!

I love the idea though.

I was born in Germany, and lived there until I was 9.
My brother and I used to take the buses, Strassenbahn (street train), and U-bah (subway) all over the city of Frankfurt.
We'd get our allowance, escape from the military police in getting off the base, and go get loaded up on Gummy Bears and chocolate.
Mass transit is great. It keeps personal expenditures down and is good for the environment.

 

[Manis]

I foresee bicycles equipped with grappling hooks.

 

[Amethyst]

This sounds...disasterous.

But then again, this could be a drastic plan of population control.

 

[figsfiggyfigs]

BIG LOL from me

 

[Lark]

I think that the these are the things which the Thatcher governments right wing wanted to replace the trains with, they wanted to pull up all the track in the country and lay special roads which would be exclusively for buses or fraighters and truckers.

 

[Oaky]

It's a rather interesting idea. I do hope it works well.

 

[ajblaise]

I just hope this picture isn't a metaphor on how China is going to dominate every other country.

 

[nozflubber]

dude, that's fucking GENIUS- if it can be implemented right. I wish we still had the motivation for that level of innovation here in the US. We screw ourselves over with short-sighted patent laws and over-encumbering litigation.

 

[Beargryllz]

Part of me is very skeptical and would rather just stick to the left lane... a 30% reduction in congestion just seems outlandish, but if it works...

 

[Amethyst]

dude, that's fucking GENIUS- if it can be implemented right. I wish we still had the motivation for that level of innovation here in the US. We screw ourselves over with short-sighted patent laws and over-encumbering litigation.

Lol.

Becoming a Third World Nation | Energy Bulletin

 

[Haphazard]

That looks both amazing and horrifying.

Makes me wonder again what happens when it turns. I mean, you have cars under it that might not be turning, and a bus that's turning... seems... bad.

 

[JivinJeffJones]

That looks both amazing and horrifying.

Makes me wonder again what happens when it turns. I mean, you have cars under it that might not be turning, and a bus that's turning... seems... bad.

It either reduces the congestion problem or reduces the overpopulation problem (which reduces the congestion problem). Win win!

I'm sure engineers will be queuing up to work on it.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

 

[Haphazard]

It either reduces the congestion problem or reduces the overpopulation problem (which reduces the congestion problem). Win win!

I guess so. I mean, the point of having a bus would mean that it was more manoeverable than a light-rail or something, right? But if it's on tracks anyway, and cars would have to wait for it to turn before they could turn, thereby making angry drivers... it seems more cumbersome than a sky-rail, which has a similar purpose, so the only reason I can see for such an idea would be that it's less expensive. Or, they already have a sky rail that's overcrowded and they're just trying to cram in more people.

Innovation is good, but sometimes people don't go through with ideas because they're, well, bad ideas.

 

[nozflubber]

Makes me wonder again what happens when it turns. I mean, you have cars under it that might not be turning, and a bus that's turning... seems... bad.

well I think you hit a good point Haph....

precisely how many people are gonna die (on average) when one of these puppies derails? Can a large van or SUV knock it off alignment?

and a derailment WOULD happen..... one of those questions of when, not if.

 

[Haphazard]

well I think you hit a good point Haph....

precisely how many people are gonna die (on average) when one of these puppies derails? Can a large van or SUV knock it off alignment?

and a derailment WOULD happen..... one of those questions of when, not if.

Let's see, that bus is huge, about the size of a subway. Depending on which way it derails, it would crush a whole bunch of cars in its wake, or it might crush into a building, causing building damage and killing a bunch of people inside.

What makes the fatalities increase would be the size of the bus, and also the fact that there are people below it in all directions, not just side to side of it. The center of gravity of it looks like it would be really high, too :/

Also, there's the question for the picture -- how the hell do people get into that bus, anyway? The doors are so high up! They'd have to build loading platforms!