The futuristic public bus TEB-1 is just for tourism rather than for transportation, local authorities said on Friday in Qinhuangdao, 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 to pass underneath it drew much attention when it was first unveiled during the Beijing International High-tech Expo in May. The 22-meter-long TEB-1, which was tested on Tuesday, is a prototype of a four-compartment bus.

As it 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 fundraising products.