China's long-awaited 'straddling bus' received its inaugural test run in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province this week.

The Transit Elevated Bus, to give it its official title, is designed to help combat gridlock by letting passengers soar over the tops of cars on the increasingly-congested roads of China's major cities.

The test run was conducted on a 300 metre-long controlled track, separate from road traffic. Each 72-foot-long vehicle can carry up to 300 passengers, and up to four TEB cars can be linked together - although only one was used for its first public outing.