The futuristic public bus TEB-1 is just for tourism rather than for transport, local authorities said Friday in Qinhuangdao, North China’s Hebei province, where the elevated bus took its first road test on Tuesday.

The concept of elevating the carriage above the road to allow vehicles zip pass underneath it drew much attention when it was first unveiled during Beijing International High-tech Expo in May. The 22-meter-long TEB-1 tested on Tuesday, which again put the vehicle under spotlight, is a prototype of the four-compartment bus.

As it seemingly moved one step closer to reality, its feasibility was seriously questioned online and several media reports even claimed that it was nothing but a gimmick to sell fund-raising products.

Amid the whirlwind of controversy and heated discussion, Zhai Wen, head of transport division of the municipal development and reform commission of Qinhuangdao, told China National Radio that the road test of TEB-1 was just for tourism.

The test was approved on a 300-meter part of a dead-end highway near Beidaihe village, said Zhai.

China reveals elevated bus prototype

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, YouTube screengrabs

Dong Xin, one of those who experienced the test, expressed his disappointment to CNR, saying that TEB-1 only ran about 50 meters at a slow speed and they felt too hot in its enclosed carriage as air-conditioning system was not turned on.

Dong’s remark added to the doubts about TEB’s feasibility.

The full version of the bus will reportedly be 60-meter-long, 7.8-meter-wide and 4.8-meter-high and capable of carrying 1,200 to 1,400 passengers and run at an average speed of 40 km/h, according to its maker TEB Tech’s official website. It is advertised as a solution to traffic congestion as its passenger compartment rises far above other vehicles on the road, allowing cars to pass underneath.

However, senior engineer in automotive engineering development at prestigious Tsinghua University expressed doubt as such a huge vehicle will need to move slowly in case it needs to apply emergency brakes.

Other limitations stated by transport experts such as Yang Tao, head of Nanjing Institute of City and Transport Planning, include current traffic facilities and the well-defined traffic rules.

According to China’s design code for road construction the general height limit for vehicles is 4.5 meter while the under-bridge height limit on main road is 4.2 meter. So to make TEB a reality, it would result in costly consequences as pedestrian bridges and overpasses would have to be removed or rebuilt to make way for it. Meanwhile, many things like overhead wires, lamp posts, road signs and traffic cameras all would have to be relocated higher.

Letting other vehicles run underneath means these vehicles will find it hard to change directions or change lanes. And if the TEB needs to take U-turn, then that means all other vehicles will have to stop and make way for it.

As TEB is not transparent, drivers beneath it may not see road signs clearly, and height limitation underneath the TEB as 2 meters may cause psychological problems for drivers, said experts.

Other safety concerns also sparked heated discussion.

TEB is over-weight for current roads as it would reportedly weigh over 100 tons when full-loaded with 1,200 passengers.

And it is impossible for TEB to make a turn with its long carriage. Almost no current road junctions are vast enough for it to turn around safely.

The power supply system of TEB is designed to be installed on two edges of its carriage other than in the middle as what is applicable on the tramcars, which can’t guarantee its safety and stability.

More terrifyingly, it’s hard for passengers to escape from its elevated carriage in case of fire and other accidents.

Apart from the technical application, the entity which really runs TEB Tech is another target of attacks.

TEB Tech shares the same chairman with a P2P asset management company Huayingkailai, a subordinate of the Huaying Group.

It has been widely reported that Huaying Group raised private equity in the name of TEB. Its Nanjing branch was reportedly involved in illegal fund-raising last year, a charge rejected by spokesman of Huaying Group.

Thailand votes on Sunday in a referendum on a new junta-backed constitution that would pave the way for a general election in 2017 but require future governments to rule on the military’s terms.

The referendum is the first major popularity test for the junta led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has suppressed political activity during the two years since he seized power in a coup in 2014.

Polls suggest a small lead in favour of accepting the new constitution, but most voters remain undecided. There are 50 million eligible voters and the Election Commission is targeting a turnout of 80 per cent. Preliminary results are expected at around 8.00 p.m. (1400 London time).

Prayuth has said he will not resign if Thais reject the constitution and that a general election will take place next year no matter what the outcome.

“We need to hold a general election in 2017 because that is a promise we made,” he said ahead of the vote. “There has been no charter that pleases people 100 per cent.”

Soldiers have toppled governments run by the powerful Shinawatra family twice in over a decade of political tumult in Thailand.

Critics say the charter is the military’s attempt to make good on their failure to banish former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his brand of populism from Thai politics after the coup that removed him in 2006.

While Thaksin lives in self-imposed exile, he retains a strong influence, particularly with his rural support base in the north. His sister Yingluck swept to power with an electoral landslide in 2011.

Thaksin called the charter a “folly” on Thursday, saying it would perpetuate the junta’s power and make it impossible to govern Thailand.

Reuters interviews with senior officers showed the military’s ambition is to make future coups unnecessary through the new charter by weakening political parties and ensuring the military a role in overseeing the country’s economic and political development.

Under the constitution, which would be Thailand’s 20th since the military abolished an absolute monarchy in 1932, a junta-appointed Senate with seats reserved for military commanders would check the powers of elected lawmakers.

“The military wants to conduct state affairs more or less under its supervision,” Gothom Arya, director of Mahidol University’s Research Center for Peace Building and a junta critic, told Reuters.

“The stakes are high when Thais vote this time.”

In the northeastern city of Khon Kaen, a former local leader of the “red shirt” Shinawatra supporters said the military wins either way on Sunday.

“Some people are fed up,” said Sabina Shah. “Fed up that regardless of whether or not the vote goes through, the junta is here to stay.”

The vote comes against the back-drop of concern about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88. The military has for decades invoked its duty as defender of the deeply revered monarch to justify its interventions in politics.

NO RECONCILIATION

Whichever way the vote goes, the United Nations would like to see more dialogue between the military and political opponents, said Luc Stevens, the UN chief in Thailand.

“There is no reconciliation if one group says ‘Lets reconcile on our terms’,” he told Reuters. “If you don’t want to leave anybody behind in this country, you need to think about an inclusive process, an open dialogue, and ensure that people can express their opinion.”

Thailand’s largest political parties, including the one loyal to Thaksin, reject the constitution but the government has banned all sides from referendum campaigning.

That has not stopped the junta from deploying thousands of military cadets to carry a message to Thailand’s 50 million eligible voters encouraging them to participate in the referendum. The Election Commission is targeting a turnout of 80 per cent.

Amnesty International said the junta had created a chilling climate ahead of the vote through pervasive human rights violations.

“If people cannot speak their minds freely or take part in political activities without fear, how can they meaningfully engage in this referendum?” Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s regional deputy director said in a statement on Friday.

Phankamol Trongvanicham, a veterinary student in Khon Kaen, was one of those still undecided.

Phankamol said he had little hope that referendum would help heal Thailand’s divisions, given that it only reflected one side’s political vision.

“This is unlikely to be the last constitution.”