One Long Commute: Mega-buses coming to Beijing?

Non-stop gridlock, crowded subways and a dearth of cabs have got Beijing authorities scratching their heads for practical solutions – now comes news that salvation (or at least a partial solution) might come in the form of the “Young-Man JNP6250G.”

According to Chinatechgadget.com, the Zhejiang-manufactured bus measures 25 meters (as opposed to the standard 18-meters), has five doors, 40 seats and is capable of holding 300 passengers – making it about the size of a small commercial airliner.

Beijing residents are already familiar with two-jointed electric buses that can turn thanks to the accordion-like joints linking the cabins together, but this baby sports three joints that would essentially allow it to “snake” around a turn.

Unfortunately similarly designed (and now defunct) buses have proven to be a hazard for cyclists and pedestrians in London so we’ll have to see how these “Young-Men” handle Beijing’s crowded intersections and its propensities for turning in front of oncoming traffic.

We’re all for mass transit solutions, but imagine being stuck behind one of these behemoths at a stoplight or as it pulls into a busstop. And given how aggressively Beijing bus drivers tend to drive, we’re not so sure how much this is going to help.