The DMV runs on traditional rubber tires on the road, but also has steel wheels that allow it to easily switch from asphalt to railway tracks, turning the vehicle from a minibus into a train carriage.
The vehicle is operated by Asa Coast Railway Company, which sees it as a way to help small provincial towns like Kaiyo, where local transportation firms are struggling to make ends meet.
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“This [vehicle] can reach the locals [as a bus], and carry them onto the railway as well. Especially in rural areas with an aging population, we expect it to be a very good form of public transport,” CEO Shigeki Miura told Reuters on Friday.
The DMV is powered by diesel fuel, can carry up to 21 passengers at a time, and can reach speeds of 60kph on the tracks, and 100kph on the road.
The company will have its new vehicles circulate along the coast of Shikoku in southern Japan.
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Article source: https://www.rt.com/business/544395-dual-mode-vehicle-japan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
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