You will soon be holding the first issue of the "Asian Trucker Bus Special" in your hands. It is a very proud moment for us and we do hope that the excitement transpires through the pages of this magazine.

Launching a new product is always a fascinating process. Thanks to the great support from the industry, we were able to put this together quickly after we first proposed the idea.

Cement doesn't complain
So, why do we need a magazine for buses if we have one for trucks, the Asian Trucker? We recently went to Bangkok and Mr. Wongborphid put it just right: Cement doesn't complain about harsh breaking. In essence, the entire market is different. As a bus operator, you are dealing with humans, not with goods that you can move around at will, park someplace for hours or move for days without breaks to eat something or to go to the restroom. While the chassis might be mostly identical, everything else is different. Hopefully, some of your passengers will also enjoy this magazine and start understanding what it really means to get them home safely.

Safety first
Some of you may already know me and the fact that I am trying to promote safety on the road. It shouldn't be a surprise that we have a feature on a little device that can help you to prevent accidents. What is astonishing is that I am usually the only one that uses the seat belt on a bus. Perhaps if more people would read statistics about accidents and how the seat belt can help prevent injuries they would use it more often.

A transportation hub
The ambition is to make this special a hub for the industry just as we have done with the truck magazine. We have event visited a transportation hub to learn how you operate and what role buses play in your business. Together with my colleagues I am already working on the next issue of the Bus Special. We encourage you to let us know your news and notes or about any exciting events happening in your company. Our own exhibition, Malaysian International Bus, Truck and Component Expo, is coming up in May 2015 and we are hoping to get more visitors for buses to visit the show.

Crew bus
On a recent trip I have been on an Airbus, a mini bus and a crew bus as well as on a double-decker. Once you start looking out for buses, you find them everywhere. Interestingly, there are even fake buses, using the logos of global OEMs. Hopefully, I can soon share a bench on a bus with you soon to find out more about this vital means of transportation.

Till then, let's Balik Kampung on a bus,

Stefan Pertz
Editor