PHILIPPINES

Scania Marcopolo Paradiso for GTSI 's Premium JoyBus

16 February 2024

BJ Mercantile, Inc. (BJM), who is celebrating its 50^th year of operations and its 10^th year of being the exclusive distributor of Scania in the Philippines, recently turned over the first 4 of the initial 10 Scania Marcopolo Paradiso buses ordered by Genesis Transport Services, Inc. (GTSI) as part of the bus company’s bid to upgrade its JoyBus fleet servicing the Manila-Baguio route.

Scania Southeast Asia's Presales & Logistics Director, Karl Johan Clason, BJ Mercantile's Sales Manager, Don Ramos and Vice President for Corporate Finance and Support Services Verney Lim also gave a model bus to Genesis Transport Services,Inc. executives headed by President and CEO Riza Angara-Moises, Finance Manager Patricia Moises and Operations Manager Droy Jalbuna.

Unmatched level of comfort, safety and convenience

The Scania Marcopolo Paradiso JoyBus boasts unmatched level of comfort, safety, and convenience with its 28 VIP Seats that are bigger, wider, and softer than the standard upgraded seats you see in the market. It has a lot of legroom, large overhead compartments for luggage, individual USB charging ports, a well-appointed toilet. and you can even enjoy a movie or two in your very own video-on-board Bus Pad. Its 360-horsepower engine mated with an 8-speed Scania Opticruise Gearbox makes easy work of the climb up to the City of Pines. For maximum safety it is equipped with Scania ESP (electronic stability program) that monitors key stability parameters and automatically triggers appropriate controls. Scania Retarder, on the other hand, acts as secondary brakes to prevent the bus from over speeding especially when travelling down Marcos Highway or Kennon Road.

“With their century of experience when it comes to bus operations, Scania proved that they could keep up with the continuous evolution of technology and solve modern day challenges. But the main reason we were charmed by Scania was upon seeing first-hand the many positive reviews from clients and passengers alike during our visit last year to BusWorld Europe,” said Riza Angara-Moises, President and CEO of GTSI.

From 3 buses in 1991, GTSI’s fleet has grown to 456 buses servicing Southern and Northern Luzon. The JoyBus came into being in August 2010 after GTSI President Riza Angara-Moises came upon an article while in the United States about an executive bus service that shuttled high profile individuals between Washington and New York and decided to launch something similar in the Philippines. It was aptly named JoyBus as it was at a time when her sister miraculously survived a terrible vehicular accident which brought so much joy to the family. GTSI specifically chose the Marcopolo bus body due to its exceptional passenger experience saying it fits with their mission of bringing joy to their passengers every time they ride the JoyBus.

GTSI's President and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Riza Angara-Moises.

A sustainable bus that saves fuel up to 9%

With more than 70 years of existence, Marcopolo is a world reference in the manufacture of bus bodies and in the development of electromobility solutions in line with the most modern concepts of sustainability. With products running in over 120 countries across the five continents and aligned with the purpose of being a protagonist in mobility solutions, Marcopolo stands out for its broad portfolio of products developed with high technology to meet the needs of its customers. Scania’s long-standing partnership with Marcopolo has allowed them to produce exceptional buses that reaps benefits for passengers and fleet operators alike while at the same time helps preserve the planet.

“Scania is driving the shift towards a more sustainable transport system. These new JoyBuses are testament to that as they offer low fuel consumption, have a low carbon footprint and enhances the safety of its passengers and the motoring public,” said Karl Johan Clason, Presales & Logistics Director of Scania Southeast Asia.

The Scania Marcopolo Paradiso JoyBus meets Euro 5 emission standards and the highly dependable, durable and robust powertrains enable fuel savings of up to 9%. They are also equipped with a Fleet Management System (FMS) that will help GTSI monitor driver performance, vehicle data and fleet position giving them all the information they need to achieve operational excellence.

Karl Johan Clason, Presales and Logistics Director of Scania Southeast Asia.

“We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with BJM and Scania. This is just the beginning as we are hoping to order 100 or more buses in the future,” said Angara-Moises.