China Invents Car-Swallowing Bus That Is Actually Real

The car-swallowing bus invented by China in an attempt to allow public transport to get through large traffic jams was initially believed to be satire. But it's actually real. Researchers have confirmed that this behemoth has entered full production and could be seen on the roads with the general public.

In the event that this car-swallowing contraption is successful, it could revolutionize public transport across the world. And testing has already started.

Moving Beyond the Concept Stage

China is often considered one of the best places to work if you're interested in wacky inventions. This car-swallowing bus might have never moved beyond the concept stage, but early tests have demonstrated the idea is viable. Yet what we didn't know was this crazy invention was only ever mere weeks away from becoming a real thing.

The bus has already received its first test run. It happened in Qinhuangdao. Specially laid rails allowed it to move along the road. All the cars in the lanes underneath simply went underneath the bus. It's almost like a moving tunnel. The Transit Elevated Bus, to give it its full name, will allow passengers to ride higher than all other traffic.

Engineers say one Transit Elevated Bus could carry 1,200 people and replace 40 city buses.

Why is China Doing This?

Some people have pointed to the contraption and said it's one of the most ridiculous inventions ever constructed. But it actually comes as a result of a serious problem in China. For years China has been one of the most polluted industrial nations in the world. Beijing is the most polluted capital in the world, only challenged by New Delhi in India.

This has forced people to wear gas masks as they go about their day to day business. Part of the reason for this is the immense amount of traffic on the roads. This relatively spacious bus is designed to encourage people to take public transport, and the increase in speed on China's cluttered roads could go a long way to helping with that.

In theory, the idea could spread across the world, contributing to global efforts to reduce emissions in the atmosphere.

What about the Dangers?

The first point of concern people raised was the dangers associated with this bus. Some people believed it could easily cause an accident on the road. But this couldn't be further from the truth. As demonstrated by the recent road test, the bus isn't controlling its direction on the road. It works in the same way as a tram or train through using rails embedded into the road.

The only danger for cars is if they crash on the inside of the bus. For example, if there's a collision between two cars when they are under the bus they could cause a lot of damage.

But Chinese engineers have already affixed bright lights to the inside of the bus, so it will be just like going through a tunnel, except this tunnel is moving.

How Fast Can It Be?

The main benefit of this bus is its ability to thwart traffic jams. Since it will be able to essentially jump over the cars in front of it, there's no reason why it would ever be caught in a traffic jam, except if another bus is in front, or it had to stop in front of traffic lights.

The difference in efficiency could be groundbreaking. The problem is nobody yet knows how efficient it will be because only one road test has been carried out. It should be noted that the road test was done under controlled conditions, and there were no passengers on the bus at the time.

Is it Likely to Appear Soon?

If the Chinese company involved wants to avoid failure and to grow quickly they need to make sure this idea is implemented quickly. Competitors are likely already looking at ways they could improve on the original concept. However, with the backing of the Chinese state, this company has more time than usual to implement this new innovation.

It's unlikely that this new bus will be seen anytime soon. There are still a lot of tests to perform, and there are question marks over the commercial viability of this project.

But with China's pollution problem continuing to be a huge issue the chances are this is one project that will be accelerated.

Whether these buses become a normal sight in cities around the world in the coming years remains up for debate. What do you think of this new invention?