A bus that straddles highway lanes to allow cars to pass beneath－a sort of moving tunnel－is set for a test run in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, in August.

The bus is said to be the first of its kind.

Called a Transit Elevated Bus, it looks like a giant double-decker but is hollow on the ground floor. Passengers can sit on the top floor while cars move below.

"TEB is a brand new tool for urban transportation that can help ease traffic congestion by creating roadway space," said Song Youzhou, chief engineer at TEB Technology Development.

About 35 percent of traffic jams can be avoided with the use of TEBs, the company's website claimed.

Vehicles with a height less than two meters will be able to drive under the bus.

"The TEB and vehicles running within it can drive on roads without interfering with each other, which avoids the scrambling for the road between traditional buses and private cars," Song said.

According to Song, a four-car TEB is 54 meters long, 4.5 to 4.7 meters high and 7.8 meters wide. It can hold 1,200 to 1,400 passengers, many times more than a traditional bus.

A model of the Transit Elevated Bus is displayed at the Beijing International High-tech Expo on May 20. [Photo/VCG]