Scania has won a tender for the supply of 152 low-entry city buses to the northern Malaysian island state of Penang. The order marks the biggest single order for the company to date, and is one of the largest single city bus deals in Malaysia.


Scania said that the operator of these buses cited best quoted fuel consumption, high levels of reliability and availability, as well as a comprehensive service support as key points for Scania’s success in the tender.


The order in Penang is significant for the community. The Penang State Government is keen on upgrading and modernising the fleet of city buses – especially in the capital city of Georgetown on Penang Island, which was recently awarded “Heritage City” status by UNESCO.


“This new order for Penang, reaffirms Scania as a leader not only in the high-end interstate coach segment,” says Idros Puteh, General Manager of Scania (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.


All 152 units will be from the Scania K-series, equipped with a 9-litre engine and 6-speed automatic gearbox, disc brakes, retarder and full wheelchair access – another first for Penang. Thirty buses will be built with a 12m body. The remaining 122 units will be in the shorter “midi” length of 10.6m, which is necessary to ply Penang Island’s inner city routes, famous for their narrow British colonial-era city streets.

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The buses feature full aluminium bodywork that saves weight and holds up well against the harsh heat and tropical island-climate humidity.

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