Scania to drive in 1st sleeper bus by year-end

Swedish commercial vehicles icon Scania has drawn a roadmap on which it plans to drive its sleeper buses in India — a country with significant demand for the same.

“Thanks to new regulations, the market is considerably shifting to sleeper buses — a big draw in India, especially on routes that take over eight hours in travel time,” reflected Mikael Benje, Managing Director of Business Unit, Scania India.

Interestingly, India is perhaps the only market where sleeper buses are highly popular on overnight inter-city journeys, offering a perception of greater value for money by providing passengers with a ‘bed for the night’, and taking them to places which are even beyond train connectivity. But, this segment of buses has been mostly produced by smaller players, and also some unorganised ones.

Now with the burgeoning demand, ace bus-maker Scania Commercial Vehicles is en route to delivering its own premium sleeper bus by the end of this year.

New business models

Sharing the company’s plans with Deccan Herald, Benje said, “While we’re looking at different segments of growth, we are also scouting for new business models and opportunities in order to follow market trends.”

“We are in cooperation with a couple of bodybuilders, who’ll be building the sleeper bus for us, which is expected to be a 14.5-metre multi-axle vehicle for 38 passengers. In the first stage, by the end of this year, we will see 20 bus deliveries, for which we’ve identified private customers from the South-West markets,” he added.

In terms of designing the sleeper bus, Scania is working with the bodybuilders, while with regard to safety requirements and other specifications, it has also involved customers.

In 2016, there were around 750 premium bus deliveries in India, with Scania delivering 231 units, and grabbing a market share of 31%.

“We have grown over 200% with four deliveries in 2014, to 231 deliveries in 2016. We are looking at having more customers and profitable growth, rather than just focusing on market share,” Benje said.

While the company is popular among state transport undertakings, it is eager to further its presence in the private space too.