SCANIA LOW FLOOR BUS INAUGURATION CEREMONY NAGPUR - EXCLUSIVE PICTURES

Location :- VASANTRAO DESHPANDE HALL, Opp. MLA HOSTEL,CIVIL LINES,
                  NAGPUR. 

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FRONT PROFILE 

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 EMERGENCY EXIT PORTSIDE

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SIDE PROFILE :- SCANIA LOW FLOOR CITY BUS 

Picture Credits :-AJINKYA GHATATE

Scania hands over the first ever ethanol driven city bus in India for trial run to Nagpur Municipal Corporation

Nagpur, August 22nd, 2014:

 Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd, a leading commercial vehicles and engines manufacturer, today handed over India’s first ethanol-fuelled city bus toNagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC)for trial run in Nagpur.

Scania hands over the first ever ethanol driven city bus in India for trial run to Nagpur Municipal Corporation
Mr. Anders Grundströmer, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India and Senior Vice President, Scania Group and Mr. Sivakumar V, Director - Sales, Scania Commercial Vehicles India handed over the bus keys to Shri Nitin Gadkari, Honourable Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Rural Development, Government of India in the presence of Shri Sanjay Gangopadhyaya, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Prof. Shri Anil Sole, Mayor, Nagpur City and Shri Shyam Wardhane, Commissioner, NMC. The key hand over was followed by the flag-off of the bus by ShriNitinGadkariin the presence of NMC officials.

Expressing his thoughts over the handover, Mr. Anders Grundströmer said, “We are delighted and proud to be able to venturethis unique initiative along with the NMC. This represents an important step towards our common goal, the realizationof energy-efficient and sustainable public transportation solutions in India. We have expertise and experience with ethanol run buses for more than 20 years. We view ethanol as the future for public transport. The use of ethanol as a vehicle fuel is the best example of what can be done here and now in sustainable development work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.”

There is now a growing interest in ethanol-operated vehicles. In recent years, Scania has also delivered ethanol buses for commercial service in Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Norway and other countries. Ethanol accounts for around 90 percent of renewable vehicle fuels available in the world today andcan be sourced locally, which will reduce the need for import of oil. It is the most cost-effective biofuel in the market in terms of availability, infrastructure and accessibility. Compared to a conventional diesel engine, ethanol-powered vehicles can reduce fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent.Ethanol also offers the best operating radius of the currently available renewable fuels for city center and urban operations.

"Public transport on ethanol buses is a cost effective way of reducing several of the city's environmental problems. The solutions we are now developing create the necessary preconditions for both more attractive forms of travel and also better living conditions in city centers, without requiring major investments in new infrastructure. With this ethanol bus we also introduce an engine complying with Bharat stage 5, which is a huge step to minimize emissions further. Biofuel isthe sustainable solution for urban public transport here and now," Mr. Anders Grundströmer added.

Scania has delivered ethanol buses for more than 20 years to countries around the globe with successful operational and environmental results. Ethanol fuel has much lower CO2 emissions compared to a diesel engine. The technology is mature and viable for intense everyday city service, as verified by bus operators in cities all over the world.

In India, Scania buses & trucks have been specially designed to meet local conditions and customer requirements, and are backed by world classservice network and dealership in the country. Scania has also gained a strong foothold with several new customers across the country for both trucks and buses and is working ondelivering high quality transportation solutions and services for India. Customers are highly appreciative of the value add that Scania solutions bring to their fleetwith an unbeatable Total Operating Economy (TOE).

Scania’s major focus is on changing the way India views transportation by bringing in new and innovative technologies through constant R&D in India followed by entry into a wide range of industries and segments. The ethanol bus is one step towards achieving this objective.

Scania India

Scania has been represented in the Indian market since 2007, when a partnership was initiated with Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T has successfully established Scania’s trucks and services and has developed a close partnership with customers in the off-road segment. L&T currently operates about 11 Scania service workshops at various mining sites in the country and continues to be a trusted partner for off road including mining trucks.
In 2011, Scania established the company Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt. Ltd. in order to boost its presence through sales to additional segments of the Indian commercial vehicle market. Since then Scania has launched a range of on-road haulage truck models specially adapted for the Indian market- the R 500 6x4, the G 460 6x4 and theG 410 6x2 and also the off-road P 410 8x4 mining tipper.
In the beginning of 2013 Scania launched a new bus range, especially for the Indian market. Thenew bus range is purpose-designed for luxury intercity or charter travels. Scania also launched the company’s engines range in India. Scania has been establishing a network of dealers across the south and western regions of India covering its business areas to support the customers with the best parts and service availability.
The company inaugurated its Industrial Facility in Narasapura in October 2013. With an investment of Rs. 250 crores, this facility will serve as the centre of the company’s commercial operations in the country. Scania’s ambition is to sell about 2,500 trucks and 1,000 buses per year in the Indian market within the next five years and employ about 800 people at this facility.
The industrial operation at the factory currently consists of final assembly of trucks with bodywork and will shortly begin with the building of complete buses with bodywork. The service workshop and a central parts warehouse, is housed at the same site. 

SCANIA INDIA'S  1st Ethonol Run Bus Handed Over to Nagpur Municipal Corporation for Trials

Scania Metrolink leads in World Class Safety : SCANIA INDIA

Offering outstanding passenger safety, Scania has just delivered two Metrolink buses to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation for trial runs in the Indian state of Karnataka. Following several recent serious coach accidents in India, Scania has taken the lead in significantly upgrading safety-related equipment.

The Metro link buses are packed with uncompromised safety features such as a BLACK BOX , SPEED LIMIT  compliant to state regulations and SIX EMERGENCY EXITS with 12 HAMMERS. A FLIGHT- LIKE SAFETY VIDEO and SAFETY LEAFLETS in each passenger seat pocket advise passengers on do’s and don’ts in emergency situations. The coaches are delivered with SCANIA’S FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ,enabling operators to monitor performance and location in real time. Operators additionally have the option of equipping the coaches with SEAT-BELTS for ALL PASSENGERS.

Launched in February 2013, the Scania Metrolink range introduces highly reliable multi-purpose coaches for medium and long distance travel in the Indian market. The buses are already operating in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, and have received an overwhelming response from customers and passengers. The coaches will from August this year be built locally at Scania’s new production unit in the Bangalore area.

“All our products maintain stringent global standards in terms of safety and quality,”  Helmut Schwartz, Scania’s Production Director for buses and coaches, said at the handover.

The elaborately decorated Scania Metrolink was delivered to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation

The elaborately decorated Scania Metrolink was delivered to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation

Information Source : SCANIA INDIA 

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy flags-off KSRTC Scania Metrolink bus at KSRTC Head Office in Bangalore on Aug 4, 2014

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy aboard newly launched KSRTC Scania Metrolink bus at KSRTC Head Office in Bangalore on Aug 4, 2014.

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy flags-off KSRTC Scania Metrolink bus at KSRTC Head Office in Bangalore on Aug 4, 2014

Newly launched KSRTC Scania Metrolink bus at KSRTC Head Office in Bangalore on Aug 4, 2014. 

SCANIA METROLINK COACHES 13.7&14.5M HD HANDED OVER TO K.S.R.T.C. FOR TRIAL RUN

Finally, after soaking a lot in the heat of competition from the Volvo and Benz, Scania reached its destination which it was desired to meet since its inception. Today, the Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd handed over two Scania Metrolink buses to The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) for trial runs in Karnataka. Mr. Sivakumar V, Director – Sales, Scania Commercial Vehicles India and Mr. Helmut Schwartz, Director – Production Buses & Coaches handed over the bus keys to Shri R.Ramalinga Reddy, Honorable Minister for Transport & Minister in Charge – Bangalore Urban, Government of Karnataka and Mr. BNS Reddy, IPS, DIGP & Director (Security & Vigilance) – Managing Director, KSRTC. The key hand over was followed by the flag-off of buses by Shri R.Ramalinga Reddy in the presence of KSRTC officials.

Expressing his thoughts over the handover, Mr. Sivakumar said, “We are extremely happy that KSRTC, who are among the more progressive of State Transport Corporations in the country, will be using our buses for trial runs in Karnataka. Our customers today are looking for reliable transportation solutions and are cognizant of long-term benefits. They are appreciative of the added value that Scania vehicles can bring in through our Total Operating Economy (TOE) and these deliveries are a proof point to the trust our customers have in us”.

Launched in February 2013, the Scania Metrolink range introduced highly reliable multi-purpose coaches for medium and long distance travel in the Indian market. The buses are already present in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, and have received an overwhelming response from customers and passengers. The luxury coach is a result of a thorough market study, encompassing factors such as safety, driver and passenger comfort.

Mr. Helmut Schwartz added, “The response to our Metrolink buses has been overwhelming. All our products maintain stringent global standards in terms of safety and quality. Our soon to be inaugurated plant at Narasapura will be manufacturing Metrolink buses locally. We are all set to deliver on our commitments to India and look forward to gaining a strong foothold in the market”.

All Scania products promise its customers and passengers to offer superior Total Operating Economy including maximum uptime, great fuel economy with lesser impact on the environment as well as high residual value. The Metrolink buses are packed with uncompromised safety features such as black box, speed limit compliant to state regulations, six emergency doors with twelve hammers and flight like safety video to educate passengers on Do’s and Don’ts at the time of emergency.

Scania is establishing a complete service and dealership network in the country, starting from the Southern and Western states and will expand to other geographies. In addition to the dealer outlets, Scania is also investing in service vans to guarantee service support to customers within two hours of fault reporting. Understanding the vital role that drivers play, Scania offers a complete driver training programme. A well trained driver can bring about huge impact in terms of operating economy, safety and acting at the time of emergency. Other additional service that Scania offers is real-time online Fleet Management Service (FMS). The FMS on Scania Metrolinks provide real time monitoring and facilitates driver coaching to derive the best performance parameters.

At Scania, customer satisfaction is of prime focus, and the company strives to be the customers’ most preferred partner with the best after sales support

KARNATAKA STATE ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION (K.S.R.T.C.) RECEIVES SCANIA METROLINK 13.5M & 14.5 M HD

In the midst of safety concerns over buses in the State following a series of accidents, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has now introduced buses made by Swedish company Scania to its fleet.

Flagging off two introductory Scania buses, one on the Bangalore-Tirupati route and one on the Bangalore-Chennai route, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said they wanted to address concerns of safety.

The buses have been introduced on a trial period for two months. He reiterated that KSRTC would conduct thorough safety checks before making future orders.

“Tenders had been called for night-journey buses, to which Volvo and Scania participated. Since we had tried Volvo buses, we wanted to experiment with Scania,” he said.

He added that Scania was chosen as the buses were cheaper than their competitor. Sivakumar V., Director (Sales), Scania Pvt. Ltd., said the company was confident of satisfying KSRTC’s requirements. While Scania buses have been introduced for the first time by KSRTC, private operators have been plying Scania buses since September last year.

Mr. Reddy announced a profit of Rs. 11 crore for KSRTC, with BMTC contributing Rs. 15 crore in the first quarter. The North Eastern and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporations have registered a profit of Rs. 35 crore and Rs. 18 crore respectively. When asked about reducing ticket fare for BMTC or KSRTC buses, Mr. Reddy said it would be difficult to do so until diesel prices are cut.

K.S.R.T.C. NEW SCANIA BUS 

Ethanol-run bus SCANIA'S

Ethanol-run bus spotted inside Gadkari sugar plant

NAGPUR: Just a day after the municipal commissioner received a proposal from the mayor on expediting the process to pilot run ethanol-based public transport bus in Nagpur, a TOI team found that the vehicle is already on the city's doorstep. Mounted on a trailer the Scania bus from Sweden was parked inside the Purti Power and Sugar Limited's plant in Bela village, about 40km from Nagpur.

Inquiries with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation drew a blank as none of its officials were aware of the bus being there. Mayor Anil Sole remained inaccessible while leader of BJP in the House Pravin Datke said he too had no idea about the Scania bus. Leader of opposition Vikas Thakre and AAP state convener Anjali Damania expressed shock.

Union surface transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, who had proposed ethanol-run buses to save fuel cost and restrict damage to environment, is the founder chairman of the sugar factory which comes under the umbrella Purti Group. It also runs two other sugar factories which produce ethanol. A detailed questionnaire mailed to Gadkari's office, twice, remained unanswered at the time of going to press.

On Tuesday TOI had reported quoting Sole's proposal that the bus was to be launched on August 9 in the presence of four Union ministers including Gadkari. The Swedish company had offered to operate and maintain four buses for the first three months after which the NMC's transport office would have taken it over.

Municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane has called for a meeting on Thursday with his senior officials to discuss Sole's proposal. The bus needs to be registered at the local RTO prior to which the Automotive Research Association of India has to give a technical go ahead.

Though Sole had said that the bus would arrive in the city in 2-3 days, TOI got a tip-off that it was already here. The fluorescent green bus was mounted on a truck-trailer (HR-47/C-117) and parked under the shade of a tree on the Purti plant premises. The word 'Scania' was boldly visible labelled on the bus's front.


"I have nothing to do with bus unless Scania company comes to NMC with it and holds meeting with the officials and office bearers," said BJP's Datke. "The bus will be launched only after all norms are followed," he added.

Damania, who had contested against Gadkari in the Lok Sabha elections, plans to meet PM Narendra Modi to "expose Gadkari". "Gadkari is a businessman. He works only for the benefit of his company Purti," she charged.

Indirectly taking a dig at Gadkari, Congress leader Thakre said the BJP is working for the interest of "only one person". "Earlier, the civic body allocated funds for the purchase of e-rickshaws and now it has come with the plan to run ethanol-run buses, which too is linked to the same person," he said.


The first Scandinavian commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania ethanol-fuelled bus from Stockholm secretly parked inside Gadkari-promoted Purti Power and Sugar Limited at Bela, 50 kms from Nagpur.

According to information available, Purti's Bela plant manufactures 1.25 lakh litre ethanol daily. Gadkari, who was the chairman of Purti Group till 2011, has always propagated the use of ethanol in public transport. The minister had also taken credit for the idea to produce ethanol at the Bela plant on his website (nitingadkari.org).

While assuming charge as minister on May 29, Gadkari had revealed about his plans to promote ethanol-friendly cars. He also made a public announcement about the ethanol-run bus in the city during a felicitation programme on July 13. 

Scania's Ethanol Run Low Floor City Bus

Scania's Low Floor Bus Interiors

Info Source : TOI
Pic Source : NAGPUR TIMES 

"India will be the third-largest bus market for Scania in the next 3-5 years.”

India will be the third-largest bus market for Scania in the next 3-5 years.”

by Kiran Bajad Jul 17, 2014

’Scania Indis's CV s MD tells Kiran Bajad that he is confident the Indian market will deliver on the growth the Swedish CV maker expects in both its buses and trucks.
What is the progress on the upcoming bus plant in Karnataka?
Is it on track for inauguration next month?
Yes, absolutely. In fact yesterday we have produced a skeletal of the first bus at the plant. Most of the work is done and the factory will start operation in mid-August. We have an annual manufacturing capacity of 1,000 buses and 2,500 trucks at this plant.
What are the bus numbers you are looking to produce at this plant?
This year we will produce 80 units – a mix of 13.7-metre and 14.5-metre coaches. Next year, this number will go up to 350 units including 12-metre coaches and the city bus.

What are the plans for the city bus given that there is no such offering from Scania in India yet?
Yes, so far we have not introduced city buses in India. But next month we are planning a demonstration of our first city bus in Nagpur. It is a 12-metre, low-floor bus, BS-V emission standard vehicle which will run on 95 percent ethanol which is available in India. We will be talking to State Transport Undertakings for orders for this city bus and we have already spoken to some government departments. They have shown keen interest in this product because there’s an opportunity to use local Indian fuel. It will take many years to replace diesel but one has to start sometime. We have shown India that it is possible to run a bus on 95 percent ethanol which is a domestic fuel. We also plans to launch BS-IV diesel-engined buses next year and will start making low- floor city buses in India. Commercial launch will take place once the testing is conducted in Nagpur.
You have 35 Metrolink coaches on road in India at present. What is the customer feedback on them?
Our customers say that the bus is delivering on the TOE (Total Operating Economy) that we have promised. The bus is very silent and comfortable and passengers also have the same opinion. This is so because we don’t allow the bus to go 120kph and limit the speed 90kph. The growing middle class and young population in India are demanding better transportation than what the country has today, which is where these kind of products come into the picture. Our vision is to sell and deliver 350 buses next year. We will sell 180 units this year; we sold 10 in 2013. So you can see the ramp-up of buses in India. There is demand for buses here and we could have delivered 200 buses so far but have no time to produce as these buses are being bought from our Malaysian plant. Along with infrastructural and industrial projects, you will see growing tourism in India which is good for states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This means that transporting tourists will also offer a huge business opportunity in India as a market for coaches. It was a tough time when we decided to invest in India, but one must invest during tough times. I am very happy about the investment made by Scania in India – it was a tough time but a perfect time for us. India will, in the next 3-5 years, be among the top three markets in the world for Scania buses. While we we will still have a very small market share in the overall bus market in India then, we will have a huge market share in the premium segment. Over the last couple of months, the M&HCV segment started showing some recovery after two-odd years.

Likewise, do you foresee some positivity in the premium truck segment?
Yes, especially with the trucks aimed at the mining segment and to transport coal. Surprisingly, coal import in India is increasing because India is the third largest coal producer in the world. We hear from our customers that more and more concessions are being given for new and existing coal mines, especially in Goa.

What is your truck sales target?
This year we are expecting to sell 500 trucks. In 2015, we aim to sell at least 800 trucks and 350 buses, which means we will cross the 1,000-unit mark. This are significant numbers because remember we have launched our product only in February 2013. This growth is very fast but this is what India wants –quality.
Is Scania looking to expand its dealership network in Delhi and Gujarat?
Yes, in Gujarat we have already signed up Navneet Motors for Surat, Ahmadabad and Rajkot. Now we are scouting for a partner in Delhi and I am sure very soon one partner will come on board for Delhi and Haryana. At the moment, we have five dealers and by end of this year we expect to have seven. Besides this, we use the L&T network for mining activities.

SCVI is actively pushing for driver training. What are the key gains?
Driver training is very critical to improve total operating economy of a vehicle. With training, a driver can save between 4-6 percent fuel. With these buses, which have high technology levels, that we are introducing in India and enabled with our fleet management system, we can monitor the bus and the driver every minute of its journey. The system helps track every minute data from the bus to see how it is performing but also how the driver has been performing. We use this data not to fire the driver but to train him, to improve how to drive economically and safely. We also provide our Narasapura facility as well as our dealer’s premises to help train drivers. -

Scania's India M.D. Anders Grundstomers

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