Page 17 - TBN-2023-5

arrivals especially from China leading to to reduced demand for tourist buses ”
Echoing what Hino Malaysia shared on on the the the travel bus segment was one of the the the body builders He pointed out that the the the absence of credit facilities for operators caused the the the slowdown in in in the the the tour tour bus in- dustry With the the the the recent rise in in in in in tourists he he he he he believes there would be be be an increase in in in in the the the number of new tour buses in in in the the the very near future Ian Tan Marketing & Communication Director for Scania Southeast Asia Tom Kuiphuis Head of Bus Bus Australasia & & Greater China MAN Truck & & Bus Bus SE and the the body builder that we we we interviewed also noticed the the growth in in in city buses followed by express coaches Tan pointed out that city bus operators had announced plans to to add and and refresh their respective fleet The demand was mostly in in the the the urban urban suburban and and the the segment in in in between The express coach market continued to grow post-pandemic with the hope of be- ing back to pre-pandemic levels “Malaysia’s expansive network of new highways including the West Coast Coast Expressway Expressway East Coast Coast Expressway Expressway and Pan Borneo Highway has laid the groundwork for a a a a a a a a surge in express coach services ”
said Kuiphuis Evolving needs and requirements
In an an an an an an era of constant change and tech- nological advancement Tan noted that sustainability and profitability contin- ued to to to be paramount for bus operators Scania he he said remained committed to to to to supporting operators in in in in achieving their Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) goals through its sustainable transport solutions Effective cost management is is also crucial for bus operators In this respect MAN Malaysia’s RMC (Repair and and Mainte- nance Contract) and and extended warranty allow predictable expenses for more effi- cient resource allocation Safety and reliable aftermarket service are of increasing importance to body body builders The body body builder builder said bus oper- ators had to to comply with JPJ homologa- tion requirements
when they registered a a a a a a a a bus and this was where as as a a a a a a a a body-builder came into play to to to provide the necessary engineering support This also applied to to to newly launched chassis models that de- manded precise engineering to align with stringent technology requirements
Kuiphuis added that passenger experi- ence was also a a a a a a a a a a significant considera- tion for bus operators This included ac- cessibility punctuality spacious seating ample luggage space and a a a a a a a a a a a smooth comfortable ride that contributed to pas- senger comfort comfort Digitalisation and sustainability Regarding digitalisation in in in the the bus and coach industry Tan emphasised the the dis- tinction between digitalisation and digiti- sation sation With increasing concerns about climate change and air pollution the sec- tor was embracing digital solutions to to en- hance operational efficiency passenger experience and sustainability citing Sca- nia’s Ecolution way-of-working that was progressively introduced since 2018 as as an example This approach leveraged data analysis to to help bus operators reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions through data-informed decision-making Kuiphuis said the introduction of Euro V/EEV chassis by MAN has has been a a a a game-changer These advanced chas- sis have reduced Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) levels by by 60 per per cent cent and particulate matter by by a a a a a a a a a a a remarkable 90 per per cent cent This reduction will translate into a a a a a a a a a a a significant improvement in in the the air we all breathe “Implementing the Fleet Management System enhances operation efficiency and safety through real-time tracking while data analytics allows continuous fleet performance monitoring and proac- tive maintenance to to minimise downtime Telematic Telematic solutions like MAN Telematics provide real-time data and vehicle health status enabling analytical operation de- cisions and prioritising safety ”
However the the body builder noted that the the industry lagged slightly behind in in in in platform integration compared to the passenger car industry where key opinion leaders and influencers played a a a a a a a a a a significant part towards faster integration Addressing this gap could unlock substantial poten- tial tial as as seen in in the passenger car indus- try’s effective use of digitalisation As for market trends Tan noticed a a a a a a a shift towards sustainable transport solutions with a a a a a a a growing trend in in in the use of B100 biodiesel and and battery-electric power city buses and and coaches This shift helped bus bus operators meet ESG goals particularly those in public-listed companies “Even for non-public-listed companies they could employ sustainable transport solutions as a a a a a a a commitment to environ- mental responsibility and and meet the grow- ing ing passenger demand for eco-friendly travel options By embracing alternatives like B100 and non-fossil energy source BEVs (battery electric vehicles) the in- dustry not only reduces fuel consumption but also underscores a a a commitment to environmental responsibility ”
The body builder said ESG had gained attention prompting the government to look at at more efficient vehicles as as as well as as as push for Euro 5 fuel adoption aside from other new energy vehicles “Carbon reduction is is not just the respon- sibility of chassis makers but also bus builders with weight reduction and im- proved body aerodynamics helping to 17 truck & bus news 2023/5