Fasching Salzburg GmbH, the preferred supplier of safety belts to leading seat producers for coaches, buses and LCVs worldwide, participated in Busworld India as it continues its search for a partner in the Indian market. The company has been closely monitoring the rules and regulations governing safety belts in commercial vehicles in India, and is happy that things move in the right direction in the country.
Says Mr. Harald Pessl, Sales Director – Authorised Office & Member of the Managing Board, Fasching Salzburg GmbH: “There have been discussions going on for over five years about safety belts becoming mandatory in the Indian bus and coach market. Things seem to be more serious and unfortunately due to many accidents in recent times, safety is also being considered an important issue now. Many Indian bus manufacturers and bus body builders are coming to us showing interest in safety belts.”
The company has been on the look-out for a suitable partner in the Indian market but has not quite identified the right one yet. One of the main industry challenges faced by Fasching is the competition from lower quality manufacturers that incorrectly label their products with the so-called “E-mark”, which claims that their product conforms to the European regulations without the certification from approval authorities. This type of marking only deceives the customer. If the product ‘meets ECE R 16’, then logically there must be an official approval available and the product can be correctly labelled. An approval according to ECE R16 is for a safety belt system, which includes the setup of the customized belt for a specific vehicle or seat for specific anchorage points. The combination of a specific safety belt configuration with these anchorages are nearly never the same for different vehicles or seats. In correct documents all such information are specified accordingly and it cannot be replaced by a 3- or 5-page version.
“Though it is taking time for us to find the right partner in the Indian market, we are sure things will end in a positive way for us here. We will achieve success in India, and I am convinced about it”, adds Mr. Pessl.
Fasching belts boast of higher quality and better functionality and fully meet the regulations in different global markets, which is not the case with cheaper alternatives. In the global market, besides tits unique technology for three-point belts (the flex sensor) as well as for two-point belts (the ARBS), the company has launched a new automatic locking retractor (ALR) belt, one which is smaller and has the possibility of being mounted in any angle.
Fasching has also introduced a new three-point belt with a side exit which enables it to be integrated into the back rest of the seat. The company has developed a new height adjuster mainly targeting the US market where height adjusters will be made mandatory in 2016 for specific applications.