To solve China’s traffic congestion problem, the “straddling bus” was invented and built in 2016. It is a public transit system that operates above traffic, standing at 2m above the ground. There was excitement over its originality, but also much criticism over its feasibility. One concern was about its height — it only offered clearance of about half as high as the tallest vehicles on the road. Further, it did not appear that these buses could change lane, turn corners, or offer the necessary safety mechanisms for cars underneath.
This is a picture from the prototype test, the first-ever fully constructed straddling bus. However, as soon as its test drive was over, the company dissipated and the project officially died. You can read more about its bizarre life (and death) here and here.
