GOTEBORG, Sweden, Nov. 13, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Volvo Buses has won an order for 100 Volvo B7R bus chassis for South Africa. The order is a breakthrough for Volvo Buses on the South African market. The customer is Remant/Alton Land Transport (PTY) Ltd., and the buses will be used for public transport services in and around Durban on the east coast of South Africa.
The chassis are packaged as CKD (Completely Knocked Down) by Volvo Buses in Boras and are being built locally at the company's assembly plant in Gaborone, Botswana. The South African bodybuilder Busaf is bodybuilding the chassis in Johannesburg.
``This order represents a breakthrough, not just for the Volvo B7R, which was introduced to the market in 2001, but for rear-engined buses in South Africa as a whole," says Andreas Wahlgren, sales manager for Africa and Iran at Volvo Buses. ``So far the market has been totally dominated by front-engined buses. The fact that South African drivers and other operators will now be seeing a lot of rear-engined buses about from an important operator will be significant for the continued development of sales of the Volvo B7R in the country."
Head of Volvo Buses in South Africa, Sam Mansing, sees a strong development for Volvo in South Africa. ``Buses are a very important means of transport in South Africa. At the same time there is pressure for a general change in the bus fleet which, together with an expansive development of society, is creating big opportunities", says Sam Mansing. The total market for imported brands in South Africa is approximately 1,000 bus chassis per year. Volvo has a market share of approximately 20 percent and is consequently the third largest imported brand in the market.
November 13, 2003
For further information, please contact Christina Fjellman, +46 739-02 42 80
Volvo Bus Corporation is the world's second-largest manufacturer of large buses and coaches. The range comprises complete vehicles, chassis, bus bodies, transport system solutions for metropolitan traffic, leasing, financing and service contract maintenance. Volvo Bus Corporation is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service.
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