One year after Volvo Buses launched their products to the Indonesian bus market, they are taking one step further bringing their premium coach, the Volvo B11R, to Jakarta and inviting people to experience a first-hand Ride and Drive.
“Customer experience is essential to business success. At Volvo Buses, our promise is to be the best business partner to our customers. The aim of this Ride and Drive is to take our vehicle to our customers and give them an opportunity to ride, drive and learn more about the benefits a Volvo vehicle can offer their business. Our relationship with our customers does not stop when we handover the keys to their new vehicles. We have the product that meets every requirement and also the service to back it up. Volvo Buses are really excited to spend the time with our customers face to face,” said Mr. Mats Nilsson, Director of Volvo Buses APAC Central.

The Ride and Drive kicked off at PT Wahana Inti Selaras, Indomobil Tower in Jakarta. The experience then saw participants take a tour around South Sentul City for approximately 4 hours starting from Sentul Lake Resort and Hotel. Sentul City is known for its picturesque scenery, low traffic, and a mix of high and low ground. Participants enjoyed mixed road conditions which allowed them to gain the full experience of driving a Volvo coach.

“This was an opportunity not to be missed,” said by Bambang Priyono, Director of PT Wahana Inti Selaras, sole distributor of Volvo Buses in Indonesia. “It was a good chance for our customers to get in the coach and experience how the Volvo product performs under realistic conditions. The public were also able to enjoy the luxury of a Volvo coach with a free ride - which we believe helps build up the Volvo brand in Indonesia.”

The onsite support team from PT Indotruck Utama (ITU), a subsidiary of Indomible Group, sole distributor of Volvo Buses in Indonesia, offered their extensive knowledge of the industry and explained the enhanced power, performance, efficiency and reliability of the Volvo B11R and a number of extensive services provided by ITU. Professional driver trainers were also present to accompany customers throughout the Ride and Drive and provide an overall safe and pleasant journey.

With the support of Volvo’s customer, PT. Rosalia Indah Transport, one Volvo B11R ultra-high deck was operated throughout the event. The striking Volvo B11R is 13.3 meters long, bodied by PT. Adi Putro Wirasejati. It features 6x2 axles with full air suspension, a 430hp engine and a 6-speed full auto gearbox with a built in retarder.The vehicle is designed with high floors for wider and higher luggage capacity and can carry up to 5 motorbikes at the same time. The chassis also comes with the Volvo industry leading 12-speed I-Shift AMT transmission - designed to meet various needs of long distance and inter-city transportation.

Rosalia Indah Transport is one of the biggest bus operators from Solo City, Central Java, and mainly operate round trips from Jakarta to Jember, East Java. The company currently has 2 Volvo B11R ultra high deck coaches and 5 units more on the way - which are expected to hit the road by mid-2020.

With mobility in their blood, Volvo Buses has also left a footprint in Surakarta, in the island of Java, Indonesia. Volvo Buses brings their city bus, the Volvo B8RLE, to test drive in Surakarta City (also called Solo City), in the central of Java Island, Indonesia.

“On behalf of Volvo Buses, we are extremely excited to bring our city bus – the Volvo B8RLE – to Surakarta City, in the central of Java Island. Known as the most populated island in the world, we hope that by introducing our advanced product and modern technology to the people, we may be able to influence the future development of public transport on the Island. Volvo Buses highly appreciate the trust and support from the City Government thus far,” said Mats Nilsson, Director of Volvo Buses Region Asia Pacific Central.
Attended by the Mayor of Solo, the Head of Solo City Transport Agency, Solo’s Chief of Traffic Police and other Solo City Government officials, the test drive of the vehicle was carried out over 3 days and drove through several planned routes around the city.

Solo is one of the five cities (Medan, Palembang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Denpasar) that will join a new program initiated by the central Government under the name of BTS – Buy The Service. This pilot project will start in March 2020. BTS is a system in which the government purchase services from the operators, namely the private sector, to serve the community. In the context of public transportation, the operators will provide public transport services.

The Volvo B8RLE city bus was introduced and made available to the Indonesian bus market in 2019. The Volvo chassis operated throughout this test drive was a 4x2, 330hp, low entry model. Manufactured in Sweden, using the industry known fuel-efficient D8A engine, the chassis is designed to optimize overall operating costs.
Equipped with enhanced safety features, such as; electrically controlled disc brakes and ESP (Electronic Stability Program), the vehicle is prepared to meet high demands of driver comfort and safety. The vehicle is also equipped with the Volvo I-coaching feature, which helps drivers improve their driving behaviour by providing immediate feedback while on the go.

The body, manufactured by Indonesian bodybuilder. CV. Laksana, are one of the leading bus body body builders in Asia. Built to meet the needs of urban traffic environments, the bus is12 meters long, is wheelchair accessible and has capacity of up to 80 passengers.

In summary, Nilsson said t that Volvo Buses is proud to support the mobility of the population and the development of transportation in the city of Solo.