Ashok Leyland to supply 1,400 school buses worth USD75.15mn to the UAE

The order has been bought by Ashok Leyland’s UAE distribution partner, Swaidan Trading - Al Naboodah Group.

Chennai / UAE - Ashok Leyland Ltd of Chennai, India, a subsidiary of the Hinduja Group, has received an order of 1,400 school buses in the UAE valued USD 75.15mn.

The order has been bought by Ashok Leyland’s UAE distribution partner, Swaidan Trading - Al Naboodah Group. Most of the buses will be supplied to Emirates Transport and the STS Group.

The 55-seater Falcon and 32-seater Oyster buses will be supplied from Ashok Leyland’s manufacturing facility in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, which is the only certified local bus making facility in the entire Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Mr. Dheeraj Hinduja, executive chairman, Ashok Leyland said this is a historic moment for Ashok Leyland in UAE. “This is a testament to the reliability, durability, and robustness of our buses and reaffirms the faith that our customers have on our buses being the safest for transporting school students. These products are made in the UAE assembly plant. The product concepts originate in the UAE, the designs are done by our engineers in UAE and are assembled in the factory in UAE, with more than 55 percent of parts sourced in UAE. It will be apt to call it “The Emirati Bus’— Made in UAE, for the GCC,” said Hinduja.

Mr. Amandeep Singh, Head- of International Operations, said Ashok Leyland is one of the fastest growing brands in the Middle East with a growing market presence in UAE. Our lowest total cost of ownership and strong aftersales support differentiates us and has helped us win these orders. We are excited about the growth we are seeing in the UAE economy and the opportunity it provides. We have aggressive plans to further enhance our portfolio in the light commercial vehicle space.”

¹Oyster of 14t gvw is powered with H’ Series – 4-cylinder diesel engine which offers 110kW (147hp) @2400 rpm, 450 Nm @ 1250 – 2000 rpm which is matched with Gear Box S5.36 DD / S6.36 OD Synchromesh gearbox with cable type shift system.

²Falcon of 16t gvw, is powered with the Ashok Leyland H-Series 6-cylinder CRS diesel engine, which offers an output of 180hp @ 2400 rev/min, torque of 660Nm @ 1200 – 1900 rev/min is matched with a 5-speed synchromesh gearbox. The chassis is 11m long, wheelbase of 5,639mm is fitted with 4" Weweller suspension at front and rear.