As populations grow and pollution increases, ideas like this are gold dust. One Chinese company has proposed new buses that are SO FREAKING BIG they straddle the road, while cars drive beneath them. The sheer amount of awesome in that idea is making me breathless.

Designers at Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co., Ltd argue that these behemoth buses solve a number of issues in one fell swoop, and would result in fewer traffic jams, less emissions, and faster travel.

And this isn’t just a fanciful, imaginary vision of our future; these things are actually being put into pilot use shortly. They should make their debut in Beijing’s Mentougou district, where work is to commence on the first 186km of track at year’s end.

Each of the jumbo buses will measure 4 to 4.5 meters high, with passengers aboard the upper level and other vehicles lower than 2 meters going under. Powered by electricity and solar energy, the bus can carry 1,200 to 1,400 passengers at a time.

[China Hush, via Engadget]