Bus manufacturer expects stability in 2015

Even in the face of an adverse macroeconomic scenario in the country, the Scania bet that demand for buses in the Brazilian market can keep stable in the country in 2015. Regulatory changes in road passenger transport added to the complete redesign of the urban bus system of the municipality of São Paulo tend to boost sales in the second half, contends Silvio Munhoz, Sales Director of Bus for Brazil. In the first four months of the year, the licensing of bus in the country fell 37%, in comparison with the same period in 2014, according to data from the National Association of Automotive vehicle manufacturers (Anfavea).
In Scania, the collective volume licensed between January and April dropped from 271 last year, to 60 in 2015. "If all exogenous factors are kept and we have no negative surprise in the economy, 2015 could even be equal to last year," says Munhoz. One of the factors that are leveraging the demand is the change in licensing scheme for interstate and international road transport of passengers. Since 2008 the national agency of terrestrial transports (ANTT) discussed with the bus companies a way to transform the Ancien Régime de concessions for lines in a public bidding system. In June last year, a provisional measure established the regime of permits, instead of the originally planned bids. "We started getting queries", says the Director of Scania. Already in October 2014, the JCA Group — which operates in road transport with 1001 companies and Comet, among others — acquired 73 bus for $ 70 million. "The operators have spent years renovating the least their fleets, waiting for a decision," says Munhoz. Now, only the detailing of the new rules, expected to happen until June.
In the segment of urban collectives, manufacturers also await with baited breath the megalicitação — pending for two years — the Mayor of São Paulo, that would change the system profile with the grouping of bus companies in three special purpose entities (SPEs). The change tends to accelerate the demand between the end of the year and the beginning of 2015.
In the first trimester, automakers produced 9,747 bus in the country, a decline of 26.5% compared to the same period in 2014, when were manufactured 13,276 units, according to Anfavea. The collective volume licensed shrank from 9,156, January to April last year, to 5,767, compared to the previous year. Exports also declined in the period, but at a smaller pace:-7.1%. "The year of 2015 should follow favorable for exports from Scania as the company will be expanding the portfolio of chassis for city buses BRT and BRS, which stand out for the lowest total cost of operation", says André Oliveira, Executive in charge of the portfolio of Scania Bus for Latin America. Oliveira noted that the road segment already recorded significant sales in the first quarter of 2015, as for example, the marketing of 138 road bus chassis for the Mexico ADO group and 54 chassis, also of Highway buses to Transport cooperative in Ecuador.
An eye on the market represented by vehicles with low emission of pollutants, the Scania tests in the country since October last year a bus powered by natural gas or biomethane. The technology has been shown to be more economically viable than that of hybrid vehicles, which switch to diesel power with electric batteries. The intent is to market the gas-powered buses in the country from 2016.