China traffic-beating bus system

China has displayed some creative ways for reducing emissions while increasing efficiency on its way to becoming the world's number one energy consumer over the United States. Now, China plans to develop one of the more impressive systems to help with pollution: a bus that can drive over traffic.

The plan is set for Beijing, where traffic congestion is a major problem. Everyone remembers the 2008 Summer Olympics, where poor air quality was a reason for concern over hosting certain events. The "3D Express Coach," as the Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company is calling it, will run on a combination of electricity and solar power. The bus will be connected to a track, and have a 2 meter clearance in the middle with 6 meter width. This will allow for 2 lanes of traffic to pass under the bus, while allowing some 1,200-1,400 passengers to be seated within the cabin above the street.

You may think that this is a far-fetched idea that will take years to develop. You'd be wrong! The first 115 miles of track is set for construction in the fall of 2010. The Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company says that the total time for completing the project will be only 1 year, and at 500 million yuan, or $73 million.

Full story at Huffington Post