Mercedes buses to hit roads of City Beautiful soon

At present, the Haryana Roadways has ten Volvo buses plying on the Chandigarh-Delhi-Gurgaon and Shimla routes. Kalson added that since the Roadways is on the move to provide comfort with luxury to its passengers, Mercedes would certainly be an open option.

The fleet owners of luxury buses are already switching loyalties despite a premium pricing over the Volvo. The cost of Mercedes is said to be Rs 80 lakh whereas that of Volvo is around Rs 60-65 lakh. Mercedes is said to have the fuel efficiency higher than Volvo, stronger bodyline, better speed and a more powerful AC. “This would take care of the extra pricing. The breakeven will take more time as compared to Volvo but still Mercedes is a safer bet,” said Kalson.

Mercedes-Benz entered the bus business in the country in the first week of September with the launch of its first-ever bus, a luxury inter-city coach that will initially operate on a few designated routes. Sutlej Motors Ltd (SML) of Jalandhar will build bus bodies on a Mercedes-Benz chassis produced by DaimlerChrysler India Private Limited (DCIL). The alliance will involve development, production, marketing, sales and after sales of the coaches. The DCIL will manufacture the Mercedes-Benz chassis, the body will be built by SML and then DCIL will take care of the sales and after sales.