Scania introduces a new intercity bus for Africa

Premiere in Tanzania: Scania introduces a new intercity bus for Africa In conjunction with Scania Tanzania's current 25-year jubilee in Dar-es- Salaam, Scania is introducing a new bus concept tailormade for long-distance operations in areas with poor roads. The new bus is the result of a joint project involving Scania and Brazilian bodybuilder Marcopolo. "Some people might think that we're faced with an impossible challenge, bearing in mind the state of the roads in some parts of East Africa," says Fredrik Morsing, MD of Scania Tanzania Branch, which is currently celebrating its 25-year jubilee. "We're offering a comfortable long-distance trip in a coach of international luxury standard featuring air-conditioning, on-board toilet and a pantry - on some of the roughest roads in this part of the world." "However, the concept has been made possible with Marcopolo's excellent long- distance body and Scania's robust front-engine chassis, developed by Scania Latin America in Brazil and previously tested in both Latin America and Africa. The new F94 front-engine chassis is based largely on components from Scania's truck range. The new chassis and bodies are built in Brazil and they are powered by Scania's nine-litre diesel engine." The new concept is also an example of Scania's global product strategy, where uniformly designed components are mutually exchangeable in a large number of combinations - both geographically and technically. The heavy rains of 1997 and 1998 destroyed a large part of the road network not just in Tanzania but also in its neighbouring countries. Scania trucks and buses have thus been proving themselves in the toughest of everyday conditions ever since. "This has imposed immense demands on both the products and our service network," says Fredrik Morsing. "Still, we've met the customer requirements and we've been offering round-the-clock service every day of the year." The very first order from Tanzania came from the Chinese company that was managing the giant Tazara railway project. The company purchased 200 tipper trucks from Scania. Another important milestone was the establishment of the Tamco assembly factory in the early 1980s. "Since the start of operations, we have delivered 5,000 trucks to Tanzania, most of them locally assembled," says Fredrik Morsing. For further information, please contact Ulf Söderström on telephone number +46 08 553 81044, mobile number +46 70 680 9595. Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 23,500 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 1998, turnover totalled SEK 45,300 million and income after financial items SEK 3,200 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and approximately 96 percent of total production is sold outside Sweden. Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/03/19991203BIT00550/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/03/19991203BIT00550/bit0002.pdf