For coach travellers sick of contending with packed vehicles, blocked lavatories and cramped seating, relief is at hand.
Emirates Motor Company (EMC), Abu Dhabi’s Mercedes-Benz authorised distributor and the flagship company of Al Fahim Group, has joined up with Jordan’s Elba House, one of the Middle East’s leading bus builders, in creating custom-designed coaches for Mercedes’ OC 500 RF 1842-based vehicles.
The model is reputed for its efficient engine, exceptional safety systems, ride quality and stability in every driving condition, the company says. It is a far cry from the world’s first motorised bus, built in Germany by Karl Benz in 1895, some years before Gottlieb Daimler also started to build and sell buses in Germany as well.
Jumping ahead 121 years, the first bus manufactured under the new collaboration was dispatched from Amman to Abu Dhabi and recently handed over to EMC.
“Our partnership with Elba House will ensure that EMC is consistently able to provide local fleet operators with best-in-class buses and coaches to meet the growing demand in this segment,” said Bilal Al Ribi, the general manager of Daimler Commercial Vehicles of EMC. “Mercedes-Benz buses have long set benchmarks for safety, quality and future-proof technologies. We are confident that our synergies with Elba House will give us a decisive edge over our competitors.”
And, for those lucky enough to board the new bus, the nightmare of coach travel will become more a dream ride.
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