On 24th December 2021, Japan launched the world’s first dual-mode vehicle or DMV service for public use. The DMV looks like a minibus and can operate well on conventional roads using regular rubber tires.
But what makes it different from other buses is that it has steel wheels which get activated at the interchange stations. The wheels effectively turn the vehicle into a train carriage that runs on the railway tracks like a train.
We have a bus, and we also have a train. Now, we have a combination of both.
How the DMV works
According to media reports, the world’s first DMV has been launched for the public on a larger scale in the Japanese city of Kaiyo.
Although the vehicle may not look extraordinary when running on the roads or the railway tracks, the steel wheels at the interchange station lift the front rubber tires off the ground while the rear rubber tires push the DMV onto the rail track.
Features of DMV
According to the Asa Coast Railway,
The DMV has a carrying capacity of 21 people at a time. It runs at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour (62 miles per hour) on the road and can run at a maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour) on the tracks.
Powered by diesel fuel, the vehicle comes in several colour options:
- A red one (Ashaigan Ishin),
- A blue one (Mirai he no Naminori) and
- A green one ( Sudachi no kaze).
Resources utilized
Reportedly, it cost around 140 million JPY (Japanese Yen) or 1.2 million USD (United States Dollars) to make each vehicle, and it took as long as about 10 years to launch the DMV service.
The special significance of the DMV
CEO Shigeki Miura told the media, “The DMV can reach local people (in bus form) and also take them to the railways.“ He believes that the DMV has could help people residing in small towns like Kaiyo with an ageing and shrinking population, where local transport cannot reach its services.
At a ceremony to mark the launching of the service, Tokushima Governor Kamon Lizumi also expressed his emotions and said that he wants to “send dreams and hopes to the world“.
Route and fare
The first batch of buses has been fleeted in the town of Kaiyo. The route involves a mix of road and rail with reasonable fare.
The DMV service will provide a scenic view for travellers partly along the coast of Shikoku Island in southern Japan. It will travel between Tokushima and Kochi. It can also become a good source of income from tourists in the long run.
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