The new Marcopolo Paradisio 1350 bus

By Daniels Ekugo

Operators of middle and long distance commercial transportation in Nigeria and other key stakeholders were in Lagos, recently to take part in the unveiling of the new Marcopolo Paradisio 1350 bus into the Nigerian market.

The presentation of the new generation bus was performed by Weststar Associates Limited, authorised general distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria, at their facility in Lekki, in collaboration with Auto Alternative Nigeria Limited, the authorised representative of Marcopolo in Nigeria.

Managing Director, Weststar Associates Limited, Mr. Mirko Plath said the introduction of the Marcopolo Paradiso 1350 bus model was a move in the right direction for bus operators in Nigeria, as he believes that the bus operators are ready to take their businesses to the next level. Plath also stated that he appreciates the fact that they continue to put their trust in the Mercedes-Benz brand and that the collaboration with Marcopolo in Nigeria has certainly borne fruit over the years.

The introduction of this bus highlights the growth and expansion of interstate road travel in Nigeria as the industry continues to follow suit with technological advancements from around the world.

In his comment, managing director of Auto Alternative Nigeria Limited, Chris Okeke said the combination of Marcopolo and Mercedes is the best. According to him, many changes have been made in the new Marcopolo bus to enhance the safety, comfort and beauty of the bus.

According to him, the Marcopolo stands for safety, quality, reliability, beauty, ruggedness, genuineness amongst others.

He said “we changed the headlight, doors, driver’s seat which is now electric and we now have the LED lights”. Okeke who said that the flooring of the bus is now different added that “We are flexible in our design. We worked with the feedbacks we get from the operators.

Weststar manager in charge of the luxury bus section, Ifeanyi Igbokwe, recommended the vehicle to luxury bus operators, pointing out that their focus should be on the advantages which it{the chassis} has bestowed on the new arrival.

These Igbokwe listed as ruggedness {which makes the bus “an absolute work horse”}; versatility in terms of load capacity and easy maintenance. The Key Accounts Manager also cited other benefits of using the bus as continuous service with as little downtime as possible, which is part of the after-sales support Weststar and Auto Alternative back the bus with; wider service network; lowest cost of operations for better returns on investment; and parts availability.

Some of the luxury bus transporters present at the launch are Chairman of Bonny Way Motors Limited, Chief Boniface Nwachukwu {who has already taken delivery of some units of the new model}; Nonso Ubajaka of Uzuchukwu Transport; Chief Godfrey Obi of Gobison Motors; as well as General Manager, Chimezie & Bros Limited, Uche Kings Abueme.