Metrolink Coaches handed over to the STU for trial run
The impressive track record of Scania Metrolink continues with yet another significant development with India’s one of the reputed State Transport Unit, APSRTC. For the first time APSRTC will test Scania Metrolink 14.5m HD coach on the important route of Vijayawada and Hyderabad. In a formal bus handover event, Mr. V. Sivakumar, Director, Sales, Scania Commercial Vehicles India and Mr. Samba Siva Rao IPS, Managing Director, APSRTC, officially flagged off the Scania Metrolink coach at Pandit Nehru Bus Station in Vijayawada.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sivakumar said, “It is a moment of pride for the entire Scania team to be associated with one of the leading STUs in the country as APSRTC. Our Scania Metrolink coaches are drawing attention in the industry for its market leading performance. Keeping in mind the growing demand for safety features and premium services, Scania Metrolink will cater to these vital needs and in fact exceed expectations of the passengers for its advanced safety features and best in class premium offering. All our products offer superior Total Operating Economy (TOE) and APSRTC will greatly benefit from this. A good Total Operating Economy means fuel saving, which in turn cuts down the carbon emission and further contributing towards our core principle of sustainable transport system.”
The 14.5 m Scania Metrolink HD coaches will service the important route connecting Vijayawada and Hyderabad. This will be the first trial run of the luxury bus under Grauda Plus class after bifurcation of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The trails will be conducted for the period of two months, after which APSRTC will evaluate performance report from the trial run to further decide on the purchase of Scania Metrolink coaches.
Launched in February 2013, the Scania Metrolink range introduced highly reliable multi-purpose coaches with class leading comfort for medium and long distance travel in the Indian market. The buses are already present in all major states in the South and in Maharashtra and Gujarat in the western part of India. All Scania products come with the promise of superior Total Operating Economy, maximum uptime and great fuel economy, which in turn helps in reducing impact on the environment by limiting CO2 emissions. The Metrolink buses are packed with uncompromised safety features such as Fleet Management System (FMS), fire detection and suppression system, speed limit compliant to state regulations, six emergency exits with twelve hammers, emergency doors and flight like safety video to educate passengers on do’s and don’ts at the time of emergency.
In addition, all the Scania products comply with R66 Standard, best possible safety even in case of vehicle roll over and accident, tested and certified by TUV, Germany. To reduce the wear and tear of the breaking system, blended retarder in the Scania products helps in improved safety by keeping the service brakes cold for full emergency performance and also adds on to the stability of the vehicle while braking. The engine and bus body are built with 100 per cent fire retardant material. Other advantages such as shorter turning radius for easy maneuvering and Scania Opticruise, a fully automated manual gearbox will give ease to the driver in challenging traffic situations.
Understanding the importance of service support, Scania promises outstanding aftermarket services to its customers. Scania’s service vans guarantee service support to customers within two hours of fault reporting. Considering the vital role of drivers in the fleet operation, 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. The FMS on Scania Metrolinks provide real time monitoring and facilitates driver coaching to derive the best performance parameters.