MAN Truck and Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MTBM) announced it had signed an agreement with Mara Liner Sdn Bhd to expand the existing fleet of myBAS Perlis as well as provide quality after-sales service. The new MAN buses are based on the MAN 14.280 HOCL two-axle chassis and would be produced in co-operation with a local body manufacturer.
Mara Liner Inks Deal for 27 MAN City Buses
myBAS Perlis is part of the Stage Bus Service Transformation Programme enforced by Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to provide better access to urban and rural communities. The service commenced operations in 2015 and to-date covers six trunk routes and four feeder routes, carrying an average of 1,200 passengers daily.
The signing ceremony between MTBM and Mara Liner and the handover of the 27 MAN A80 City buses were held at Mara Liner Perlis, in the presence of Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar, the Chairman of SPAD, and witnessed by representatives of myBAS Perlis.
Hartmut Mueller, Managing Director of MAN Truck and Bus, said: “We are delighted that MAN buses are selected to provide a highly modern and safe public transportation for the myBAS programme. The superior quality and reliability of our vehicles have been crucial to this partnership with Mara Liner and we are very much looking forward to continuing our mutually-beneficial collaboration”.
The MAN A80 City bus for myBAS Perlis has a low entry design, making it easy for passengers to board and exit, and can carry up to 41 passengers. The 10-metre bus is powered by a 280hp (206kW) diesel engine. Described as impeccably efficient and reliable for inner city transportation, it is also designed to be environmentally friendly with ‘incredibly low’ fuel consumption and low noise emissions.
“The efficient fuel consumption and low life-cycle costs of MAN buses are among the main deciding factors for us when it comes to the vehicle of choice for the fleet expansion of myBAS Perlis. We are looking forward to an ongoing fruitful partnership with MAN, in enabling us to increase the quality of our service and create added value for our customers,” said Zahrail Affenday Mohamed, Chief Operating Officer of Mara Liner.
As part of the 5-year contract with Mara Liner, MTBM would undertake to provide technical competency and knowledge transfer to Mara Liner Service Centre in Alor Setar through various train-the-trainer apprenticeship programmes.
Both Mara Liner Service Centres in Alor Setar and Kuantan are MTBM’s appointed service dealers. The partnership would also enable MTBM to provide more efficient and faster response to customers when it comes to after-sales service and maintenance via the Mara Liner network.
