THE “world’s largest” bus, a China-made coach with a capacity of 300 passengers, has been unveiled in Shanghai and will be used for rapid transit in Beijing and Hangzhou, the Youth Daily reported today.

The newspaper said the Zhejiang Young Man Vehicle Group launched the 25-meter-long super bus (JNP6250G), about the size of a metro car, at the opening of Busworld Asia 2007, a leading domestic bus and coach show in Shanghai. It is 13 meters longer than an ordinary bus and is the world’s largest bus, according to the manufacturer.

It takes about 35 steps to walk from the front to the back. It has five doors, 40 seats and can carry 300 people. The top speed is around 80 kilometers per hour.

Although the bus has a European style and a German MAN engine, the group designed the rest of the bus, said Zheng Han, marketing manager of Zhejiang Young Man Vehicle Group.

“I just drove the bus from Zhejiang Province to Shanghai. The top speed reached 82 kph,” a bus driver told the newspaper, without giving his name. “It is flexible when cornering. The ride is quite easy.”

The interior is designed for passenger convenience. It is easy for elderly and the disabled to enter as the first step is nearly level with the pavement. The bus also has room for wheelchairs.

The super bus together with other super-length buses will be put into service on Bus Rapid Transit in Beijing and Hangzhou located in Zhejiang Province, the newspaper said. The standard length of a BRT bus is 18 meters.

Shanghai plans to build its first BRT public transport line from Daduhe Road to Shanghai South Railway Station.

The BRT lines will have stations along their routes. Large buses will use bus-only lanes on the highways so they can travel much faster than ordinary buses. They will also make fewer stops so they can pass through the city more quickly.