UAE-headquartered Al-Futtaim Logistics has placed an order for a number of Eicher’s Middle East-bound 66-seater buses.
Earlier this month, Indian truck and bus manufacturer, Eicher, told PMV Middle East that it would introduce a 66-seater bus to the Middle East market before the end of Q3 2014. Al-Futtaim Logistics has revealed that it has become an early adopter of the upcoming model.
“We’ve got Eicher 66-seater models on order already,” said Johan Alberts, general manger for people transportation at Al-Futtaim Logistics.
Eicher’s 66-seater bus will complement the 32-seater Skyline 10.75 bus, which is already available in the UAE through the manufacturer’s authorised distributor, Pacific Machinery. The upcoming bus will be the first of several left-hand drive models to be introduced by Eicher during the next year, as part of the firm’s broader strategy to grow sales across the region.
Receiving an order from Al-Futtaim Logistics represents a significant vote of confidence for Eicher in the UAE market. Alberts’ 220-strong fleet of corporate transportation buses carry 25,000 people approximately 43,000km per day, and during some of the UAE’s peak traffic hours.
“Obviously, we look for reliability and longevity,” he told PMV.
“We also consider service intervals and a range of other factors that can increase costs. So far this year, and for the last year, our vehicle off-road time – including servicing and maintenance – has been 2.9%. That is very far from the norm, which tends to be around 8%,” Alberts added.
For a comprehensive analysis of the Middle East’s burgeoning commercial vehicles sector, check out the June 2014 issue of PMV Middle East.
