Under the City Bus Service Scheme financed under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, 150 modern buses will be operated from Faridabad City. Of these, 45 are air-conditioned and the remaining non-AC. The bus services are proposed to be extended up to Palwal, Delhi and Gurgaon.
Volvo Buses India is already partner with nine major cities, including Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, for supply of modern buses for city and inter-city transport system. However, Faridabad, which is just next door to Delhi, is its first official city association in North India. The launch signals Volvo’s determined push for a bigger share in the northern city market.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Passey said that as Indian cities are undergoing a make-over and putting in place a modern, safe and convenient city and inter-city public transport system, Volvo is emerging the safe preferred choice due to its inherent strengths, safety records, latest technology and excellent maintenance support system. Volvo buses are also designed to inspire personal transport users to switch over to public transport system.
“Volvo is not sold merely as a bus. A Volvo bus is meant to support a city’s ambition over a long-period – for better quality of life, sustainable mobility where public transport is popular and helps people reduce dependency on personal vehicles. This simple shift can have a profound impact in reducing the level of congestion in a city; reduce safety risks on road, overall emissions and overall fuel consumption”, he added.
Volvo city buses are being built at the manufacturing complex near Bangalore which is today one of the most advanced bus factories in the region. The buses are also backed by Volvo after-market support and driver training where over 18,000 drives have already been trained.
Volvo Buses has been present in India for more than eight years now and the company has the richest experience when it comes to high-performing bus applications, with a successful development of the inter-city bus segment. This, coupled with its latest state-of-the-art factory and overall profile of being a complete transport solutions provider, gives it a unique ability to be in the best position to understand the needs of the Indian market and configure products accordingly.
In Bangalore city, Volvo buses move people wherein the majority of passengers inside are those who would typically use their personal vehicles if not for a Volvo. This, in effect, means that one Volvo with even half the passengers is equal to 35 cars – saving that much road space; fuel consumption and associated emissions. It’s safer too. Between the Bangalore airport and the city, majority of domestic passengers take the Volvo Airport Buses and are today reducing over 45,000 car movements each month.
Technology, innovation, safety and comfort
Behind Volvo City Buses’ immense popularity among citizens lies sustainable and modern technology that promises to provide safe and caring transport that lasts a long time through a city’s development phases.
Produced in Bangalore at the Volvo Factory, these buses bring with them the world’s latest safety features including: Automatic Transmission; Electronic Braking system; anti-roll; front under-run protection device; Disk Brakes; electro-pneumatic safety doors; anti-skid protection, hill start aid with grade ability, brake temperature, warning, poor brake performance warning. Features that help not only to protect passengers but other vehicles on the road too.
The automatic transmission assures fatigue-less driving for drivers and a better bus ride for passengers. The low turning radius helps the bus move through crowded traffic with ease. The right power-to-weight ratio of the engine allows quick deceleration & acceleration across various terrains. The retarder system ensures that the bus movement, including braking is almost jerk-free for passengers. The Electronic Air Suspension takes bus comfort to a new level. Of course, the Volvo buses’ in-climate control alongwith the above features provides an excellent environment to passengers making it a perfect setting to opt for a public transport over personal transport.
The Volvo city bus on trial is disabled-friendly, providing easy step less entry and features within for wheel chairs.
Volvo city buses are today part of most successful city bus systems in the world, including London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Curitiba, Mexico, Finland, Sweden, Singapore and many more. In India it is already official partner in cities like Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Mysore, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram.
