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[ili0926]

I did a search and couldn't find anything...

Check this out: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/china-to-build-ginormous-buses-that-cars-can-drive-under-video/

Seriously, this is the future that China's envisioning: huge friggin' buses engulfing smaller cars on the road. Despite the silly picture and the eccentric "3D Express Coach" branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars and bridges, thus saving construction costs as well as minimizing congestion impact by allowing cars to drive underneath these jumbo buses.

Looks really neat! Basically it's kinda like a subway on the road that goes above the regular traffic.


N.B. The thing is on rails so it's more of a streetcar than a bus.

 

[JCX]

Looks crazy, but I'd like to see it in action.

 

[ant_]

Would make for good chase sequences in movies.

 

[Ferrio]

After seeing that one video about chinese drivers, I'd say this a bad idea.

Hell it's a bad idea period. Like I'd wanna trust some jackass to drive under me.

 

[Steppenwolf]

This screams for some really bad accidents to happen.

 

[Get'sMad]

I guess instead of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QESfEd180rQ you could just kinda duck under the bus now.

 

[Escape Goat]

So someone took the El and moved it over? What a scathingly brilliant idea.

 

[sixteen-bit]

lol, like fast and the furious?

 

[badcrumble]

I think the car in Who Framed Roger Rabbit could do this.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

This would work if there was some sort of rail system installed. But then it would be a train.

 

[Houston3000]

Would suck coming up to an intersection or highway exit and being stuck under one of these when you need to turn :lol

How about curved roads in general, they'd have to be retrofitted, no?

 

[UFRA]

This would work if there was some sort of rail system installed. But then it would be a train.

That is how it works.

 

[Trojita]

Yeah..... this is multiple accidents waiting to happen.

 

[X26]

I think it's a good idea, going horizontal in a densely populated area can ease some of the issues

 

[ghst]

there are no curved roads under communism.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

That is how it works.

Then wtf is the problem GAF? It's obviously only going to work down straightaways.

 

[Clydefrog]

Would make for good chase sequences in movies.

Speed 3: Bigger Bus ?

 

[kevm3]

Pretty cool idea until you need to turn but you can't because you have a giant bus hovering over you and boxing you in.

 

[donkey show]

lol, like fast and the furious?

It's the upcoming first scene in Fast and Furious 5, Mandarin Rally.

 

[Ferrio]

Then wtf is the problem GAF? It's obviously only going to work down straightaways.

It may go straight, cars don't always go straight.

 

[UFRA]

Then wtf is the problem GAF? It's obviously only going to work down straightaways.

This is how the Chinese driving habits are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xat-TUpaTo

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Speed 3: Bigger Bus ?

"It's on a bus instead of a ship!"

 

[Gallbaro]

I predict this will cause some issues at intersections.

 

[Escape Goat]

anyone notice all the models in the movie are caucasian?

and did anyone actually watch the video? Alot of these questions would be answered.

 

[Mudkips]

What if you're under the bus and the bus needs to turn / make a lane change / etc. and you don't?

Does the bus have a door that drops down in the back to prevent people from entering to avoid this?

Does the bus have a door in the front that is linked with the door in the back and a sensor on the underside to prevent angry bus drivers from swallowing and trapping cars?

These are the questions of our time.

Edit: Watched the video and tried to make some sense of it.

So are these things bound to rails on the side of the road? If so, then they're just non-elevated elevated trains, with a skirt.

What's to prevent someone from running into the under side of a bus and hanging on to something in an attempt to get a free ride?

 

[Why would you do that?]

At first, I thought the title meant drive under the bus the other way, in between the front and back wheels. Like, you know how some trucks are so high that you could crawl under them.

I thought that was a brilliantly bad idea.

I guess instead of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QESfEd180rQ you could just kinda duck under the bus now.

What the heck was this about?

 

[HamPster PamPster]

blimps need to make a comeback

 

[Beardz]

 

[Dali]

Doesn't seem like it allows much margin for error on the car driver's or the bus driver's behalf.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

It may go straight, cars don't always go straight.

Just don't have the bus pull all the way up to the intersection. Have the driver leave a car or two length in front. That way there is plenty of room to turn.

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

Yeah..... this is multiple accidents waiting to happen.

Yep it's all ready caused a woman to loose her head.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Ehm, why not just put a railway above the road and put a train there :S

You can bet some trucks will get stuck under this thing on a daily basis.

 

[Pinko Marx]

Doesn't seem like it allows much margin for error on the car driver's or the bus driver's behalf.

Bus is on rails, bro. You can't drive OFF rails.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Ehm, why not just put a railway above the road and put a train there :S

You can bet some trucks will get stuck under this thing on a daily basis.

Looks like this meant for more of an urban setting anyways.

 

[Ferrio]

Just don't have the bus pull all the way up to the intersection. Have the driver leave a car or two length in front. That way there is plenty of room to turn.

Not talking about turning.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Looks like this meant for more of an urban setting anyways.

Then built a monorail instead.

 

[Purkake4]

Om nom nom?

 

[ili0926]

Okay I think I should update in the OP that the thing is on rails...it's more like a streetcar than a bus really.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Not talking about turning.

Ok you take the bus up the road until your destination is parallel to you. You then take another bus straight the other direction.

Again this seems to be meant for urban settings, not something like route 60.

 

[Zenith]

the video answers most of the questions in this thread.

 

[Dali]

Bus is on rails, bro. You can't drive OFF rails.

This is where I post a youtube link to the aftermath of that Amtrak wreck in the mid 90's right?

 

[brotkasten]

I guess instead of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QESfEd180rQ you could just kinda duck under the bus now.

Wow. Just wow. Looks like they're driving with closed eyes.

 

[msv]

the video answers most of the questions in this thread.

In Chinese. Where's the translation?

 

[The_Inquisitor]

This is where I post a youtube link to the aftermath of that Amtrak wreck in the mid 90's right?

Yeah but bro these things aren't going to be going as fast.

 

[me Jojo]

Who cares if it's dangerous and can cause several accidents, that thing looks stupid as hell. :lol

Also isn't supposed to be a tram cars can ride under, because it's kind of on rails?

 

[X26]

Then built a monorail instead.

monorail takes up more space than this thing

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

So I wonder how many slave hours China's Communist government will enforce on their labour to build this bad boy?

 

[Dali]

Yeah but bro these things aren't going to be going as fast.

Things on rails aren't immune to errors by their operators or outside influences is the point. Person in a car somehow ends up straddling the track or hits the "bus" while it's going overhead and you've suddenly got yourself a wreck similar to an overpass collapsing. I didn't even see any guardrails and if they are trying to take advantage of the tiny space between lanes, then I don't see how they will be in the final designs.

On a separate note, is this some sort of concerted "bro" attack?

 

[Doytch]

Why do people think this is more dangerous than a regular bus? As a driver, you'd have to veer into the bus while driving under it, just as you'd have to veer into a regular bus from the side. Except now you can't rear end it.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

there are no curved roads under communism.

or turns of any kind, considering the mockups.