Australian bus body builder, Volgren, has announced that it has received ‘a major export order’ for 29 low floor city buses from Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Bureau of Transport.
The order from Tokyo Metropolitan Government, who operates around 1,450 buses in the Greater Tokyo region, represents Volgren’s biggest deal since entering the Japanese market in 2014 with their articulated route bus.
Volgren Chief Executive Peter Dale said the company’s low floor city buses, to be built on a Scania N280UB E6 chassis, will be 100% compliant to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s vehicle specifications including their complex onboard passenger information systems, ticketing equipment and emergency exit requirements
“In a short space of time, Volgren have built a reputation in Japan for manufacturing high quality, niche vehicles in areas that local manufacturers currently do not supply into,” Mr Dale said.
“There’s currently no local Japanese bus body manufacturer producing a complete low floor buses with the only other option being buses from Europe, that are non-compliant to Japanese regulations and not equipped with any Japanese specific equipment upon delivery to the customer.”
“This ready to roll solution is well received by operators and is one of the key planks to our success in Japan.”
He said the complete low floor city buses will improve ease of access, increase capacity and better cater to Tokyo’s ageing population.
“Tokyo Metropolitan Government is one of the most progressive bus operators in the world,” he continued.
“They’ve recently taken delivery of the first Toyota fuel cell bus and by ordering a complete low floor solution through Volgren, they’re sending a message to local suppliers – update and be more flexible to passenger requirements, or we’ll go elsewhere.”
According to Volgren, the first of two homologation units will go into build in two weeks, with production of the remaining buses to commence in May and be completed by August 2018.
