The competition for market share appears to be getting more interesting following the media presentation of some of the technical details of Neobus N10 series commercial passenger luxury bus being introduced into the Nigeria market by Neo Africa Buses & Coach (Pty) Limited to the motoring press inside Weststar Associates office in Lagos.
On hand to give highlights and market forays of the new product was Alberto R. Punnalin, managing director, NeoBus Africa & Coach (Pty) Limited. He said the introduction of the buses into the local market was aimed at meeting the transport needs of commuters, adding that the bus company is joining the fray with a lot of promises.
Answering BusinessDay’s question on the current Neobus team’s interest in the Nigeria market, Beatriz Montes Ortiz, regional manager, Regional Office and Management, Daimler Buses Africa said that it was borne out of the growing opportunities that abound in the commercial passenger business in the country. She maintained that at the moment, Nigeria remains the toast of most luxury coach makers.
Neobus began in 1991, with the manufacturing of components for the industry automotive. In 2000, the company began to fully dedicate itself to developing vehicles for passenger transportation, starting by manufacturing the micro-bus Thunder+: a unique product and developed for heavy traffic.
In 2002, Neobus rolled out Spectrum, a vehicle that represented not only a new alternative in the market but also the launch of a new category. That is justified by the fact that the model extends past 9 meters long, where micro buses practically end, and reaches 11 meters, a length at which conventional buses start. That way, the Spectrum secured its share in the market.
Neobus kept on working, and in 2004 introduced another one-of-a-kind bus: Thunder Plus, a micro bus whose door projects over the front axle and by so doing provides seating for an additional six passengers.
In 2006 and 2008, our company worked heavily on charter models, such as the Spectrum Road and Spectrum Class lines, which represent solutions for a segment that grows every year stemming from the benefits offered by companies to their employees.
Two years later, in 2010, Neobus met the market’s expectations in advance and introduced the Mega BRT, a bus conceived and designed to supply the major demands of mass transit, including those taking place during the 2014 World Soccer Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
However, the Mega BRT is going to be a permanent solution, even after the great events are over. It should be pointed out that this model is meant to be used on segregated lanes, and at the time was awarded the title of the world’s largest bus.
