Distributor - scania.co.bw

SCANIA MALAWI: CUSTOMER FEEDBACKTorsten Linder of Scania Southern Africa listens to Cuthbert Ghambi, AXA’s company secretary.In 2011 the African Games come to Zambia,bringing even more demand for transport to theregion. He wants to have 300 buses running infive years.AXA Coach Service is a high profile companywith a high profile owner. Mark Katsonga is thedeputy president of the People’s ProgressiveMovement (PPM), the third largest politicalparty in Malawi. He’s also a poultry farmer with52 000 chickens.A.R. Mussa, director of City Tours &Travel, has upgraded his bus fleet withthree new Scania 220hp buses.Three years ago, his bus business started as adream, but also with concern for the sufferingof his fellow Malawians. The government’s busservice was going bankrupt, leaving thousandsof commuters and travellers in the lurch. Marksurreptitiously investigated the government’soperation to find out the issues. When he madehis decision, he chose to buy Scania buses– even though they cost more – because theywere easy to import and because of Scania’s salesand service operations in Malawi. He’s now got38 Scania buses in his fleet. He has spent twoyears building his local route market, and nowhe’s setting up some international routes toJohannesburg and Harari.City Tours & Travel, based in Zomba, southernMalawi, is a family-run business with scheduledroutes running to Mzusu and Lilongwe. Thecompany has recently upgraded its large bus fleetwith the addition of three Scania 220hp chassisfitted with MarcoPolo Torino bodies. “Demandfor passenger transport is ever growing,” saysA.R. Mussa, the company’s director. “Our buseshave the drivers’ cell numbers on the back sopassengers can check when the bus will arrive.We also have conductors to collect fees. This lets thedriver get on with driving.”Mussa’s reasoning behind the new Scanias issimple: “The risks associated with running smallbuses are very high. The big Scania coaches makeit less risky, more economical and profitable; theprice for a ticket on a big bus is up to 20% less thanfor the small bus,” says Mussa. “The Scanias arevery good on the road; they are trouble-free andgive me peace of mind.”ZAGAF Transport has a contract to transportall fuel in Malawi. This requires the companyto adhere to very high safety standards. “Thevehicles cannot be too old, and no left-hand-drivevehicles are permitted,” says Aslam Gaffar Dias, thecompany’s owner. “I started with Japanese truckswhen I was young; drove them myself,” says Aslam.ZAGAF has a mixed fleet of over 240 truckshauling all manner of cargo to all corners of thesubcontinent, even to the Congo. He has no idea howmany Scanias he’s got, a few of which he bought newfrom McClean and his team. Many of his trucks areused vehicles he acquired at very low prices fromoverseas. Some of these need constant attention.He has a large service workshop at his depot inBlantyre where all major repairs are carried out.Sometimes his mobile service vans have to attend tobroken-down trucks on the road. It’s not uncommonfor a piston to be replaced on the side of the road.Aslam is pretty competent with a spanner ortwo; he performs every gearbox repair himself.“Road transport is very competitive,” saysAslam. “Fuel is cheaper in Mozambique as there isno inland surcharge. But I cannot buy all my fuelthere; Malawi doesn’t have enough forex to handout to anyone who asks for it.“Our freight charge from Blantyre to Beira is$2 500. Rail charges are half that. Our fuel costaccounts for fifty percent of our freight charge; tollfees another ten percent.”Despite his pessimistic tone, trucks still passin and out of his vast depot every day, non-stop,feeding the business, and that growing beast that isthe Malawian economy.Aslam Gaffar Diasof ZAGAF Transportpresented Limbi andMcClean with beautifulwall clocks featuring aScania truck.Jimmy Gobede of UDKPassenger Services isa great fan of Scania’sbuses. SCANIA REVOLUTIONS • N o 3/2009 www.scania.com