The Hindu Business Line : Big trucks, luxury buses to rule highways

TRUCKS and buses in India are getting bigger, better and more powerful as roads expand to highways, people spend for comfortable travel and a booming economy produces more goods.

"India is changing and today you need new transportation systems and products of latest technology," says Mr Abhay Firodia, Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Tempo Ltd, which has tied up with Germany's MAN to manufacture heavy commercial vehicles.

Today all commercial vehicle makers have lined up heavy-duty trucks and luxury buses to capitalise on the change that is happening in the transporting sector.

Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Eicher Motors have already launched their multi-axle trucks and a range of luxury buses, while Bajaj Tempo is the latest to join the bandwagon.

Swedish tuck major Volvo has been selling tractor trailers in India since 1999 while DaimlerChrysler is considering driving in their range of commercial vehicles in to India. At the Auto Expo here, Tata Motors is displaying a range of new commercial vehicle such as the Tata LPS 4930, Ashok Leyland its new 4026 J Tractor and Megabus and Bajaj Tempo its to-be-launched heavy truck. Volvo has shown a new version of its B7R luxury bus.

Compared to the vehicles in the past, these trucks not only have more power, they are also equipped with latest technologies, air-conditioned cabins and power steering to provide better comfort for drivers. Volvo and Ashok Leyland also train drivers on how to run such massive vehicles.

"Like everywhere else, roads are getting better and people want to travel at higher average speed," says Mr M. Natraj, Executive Director (Product Development and Advanced Engineering) at Ashok Leyland. "So you need more power."

The Government is constructing about 25,000 km of four-and-six-lane highways across the country, spending nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. "Highways are the most important change that is happening," says Mr Firodia. Transporters are realising that multi-axle trucks, though more expensive, facilitate less turnaround time and improve overall productivity. Instead of 4-5 trucks, they can go for one. "They know that you can do more trips with such vehicles," Mr Natraj says.

The change is visible in public transport as well. People are willing to pay more for comfortable, faster and safer travel. "We have about 60-70 Volvo business running in the Mumbai-Pune sector," says Mr Sohanjeet S. Randhawa, Senior Manager, Marketing at Volvo India.

However, it is still a long haul for such vehicles to grow in numbers as current market size may not be more than 4,000-5,000 units a year. "It will take off slowly and the numbers will increase," Mr Natraj says, adding that in China too a similar thing happened.

Volvo's Mr Randhawa says more sales will happen once a `hub-and-spoke' system in logistics takes shape. The larger trucks can transport goods to one hub and from there, smaller vehicles will despatch them.