The Transit Elevated Bus (TEB), the Straddling bus of China, is no less than a splendour. The bus started its test-run in Hebei province this week.

The concept that took auto-enthusiasts by surprise a few months back is now on the road for them to see in real. The bus, which is expected to be China's answer to rising air pollution levels and traffic problems, looks absolutely brilliant in its production-spec version.

What is TEB? The idea behind Chinas' new traffic Straddling bus

The TEB, which stands for Transit Elevated Bus, is designed to ease traffic congestion. The bus allows cars to move uninterrupted. It is also called Straddling bus, since it can drive over traffic. The bus runs on a dedicated track. It was first showcased at the 19th Beijing Hitech Expo in May and took its first test-run on a 300m-long controlled track in the north-eastern city of Qinhuangdao.

It can currently accommodate up to 300 passengers and is expected to attain a speed of up to 60 kilometres per hour. The Elevated Bus currently consists of one segment and it is likely to get four compartments linked up together in future to accommodate 1,200 passengers at a time. Reports suggest that the new bus can replace 40 conventional buses. It is 22 metres long, 7.8 metres wide and 4.8 metres high and runs on electric power.