The 'straddling buses' re-surface

[Randy W]

in the NY Times

 

Bus Project Finds a Way Around China’s Traffic Jams: Gliding Above Them

 

 

 

A model for a giant, elevated bus was presented over the weekend at theBeijing International High-Tech Expo, though it was not the first time that what has been called a “straddling bus” had been proposed. The bus first made an appearance at the Beijing expo in 2010, but doubts about the project led to the cancellation of a trial run.

Six years later, Song Youzhou, the designer of the bus, says that prototypes are being constructed. In an interview this week, he said that five Chinese cities — Nanyang, Qinhuangdao, Shenyang, Tianjin and Zhoukou — have signed contracts with his TEB Technology Development Company for pilot projects that will involve the construction of hundreds of miles of tracks starting this year.

The cost of each bus will run about 30 million renminbi, or about $4.5 million, which Mr. Song put at one-sixteenth the price of a subway train.

 

[Randy W]

Here's one in action! from the Shanghaiist

 

China's futuristic 'straddling bus' is actually a thing, goes on its first test run

China's infamous "straddling bus" went on its inaugural test run in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province earlier today.

 

 

 

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/teb_launch.jpg

 

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/teb_launch2.jpg

[dnoblett]

May work as long as motorists stay in their lane and not straddle the lanes.

[Greg.D.]

Even self-driving cars driving two across with, let's say, 5 course corrections per second, could freak out, going into hysteresis. In fact, that would be a good test of the google car, driving under that superstructure.

 

I would put my money on a couple of no-drama Chinese taxi drivers to perform well in that setting.

[Randy W]

Given that the Tesla has had two accidents (one fatal) with 18 wheeler trucks that the automated driving system couldn't "see", i wonder how it would react to one of these?

[tsap seui]

Got an hour to pick yer nose, and scratch those pesky Klingons circling Uranus? Then watch this Tesla on autopilot.

 

I think 2Mikes in Hawaii bought two Tesla Model S cars, probably has changed them to this model X by now, if I know him. They can do 180 mph top end and will pretty much outrun most cars off the line, that aren't another Tesla.

 

 

Only set ya back a measly $71,000 to $109,000 for the Model S, and you can get gull-wing rear doors and auto-pilot on the, new, Model X which prices out from a low chump change price tag between $80,000 to $115,000. In order to stop the Arctic ice from melting, stop the rising ocean levels that will take out NYC, and quite possibly give Tenner-bamma some cooler weather everybody should have two or three Tesla's in their driveway or elevator parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

[Allon]

A bus riding over you while you are on drugs or toasted, or worse, have PTSD. Hehe. What could possibly go wrong?

 

I hope it does not sound like a helicopter.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Allon (see edit history)

[Randy W]

the video, from the NY Times

 

 

Straddling Bus, on Test Run, Floats Above Streets of China

[Randy W]

The People's Daily downplays it a little

 

Road test? China's futuristic "elevated bus" not ready yet

 

 

Although the idea sounds superb, almost too good to be realistic, many questions still need to be answered about the feasibility of the straddling bus, most importantly how it is going to solve the safety issues that lots of experts have raised against it.

The height limit on Chinese roads is 4.5 meters tall, and many elevated roads in Chinese cities have height limit around 4.2 meters. Nonetheless, the designed height of the TEB-1 is 4.8 meters, with the room left beneath it for the cars to pass through being restricted to 2.1 meters and below. The figure is far much smaller than the national standard of height limit for smaller vehicles in China.

Moreover, the 1200 passengers TEB compartment can carry, together with the TEB-1 itself, will likely to generate a total of over 100 tons’ weight on roads, which most of the Chinese roads can’t hold up to.

Other safety concerns like the TEB blocking the road signs, and car drivers passing through the elevated bus won’t be able to change lanes, are yet to be answered. The applauses generated from the road test photos might be a bit too early.

 

[Randy W]

Maybe a scam ??!? - in the Shanghaiist

 

'Straddling bus' locked up, all testing stopped after allegations surface that it's just a big scam

 

Doubts have been hanging over the vehicle. The city's Party committee and all other governmental departments were unaware of the project despite a company announcement on April 27 that said it signed a strategic agreement with Qinhuangdao to conduct tests along a 120 km line.

Several media outlets, including Global Times, reported that the company behind the project is suspected of running a peer-to-peer financing program that promised higher interest rates and faces the danger of running out of cash.