Delivery data for June is starting to paint a picture of high spending late last year by operators taking advantage of the Australian Government's stimulus measures
By David Goeldner | July 8, 2010
A record number of BCI buses went into service during June buoyed by the Australian Government’s $2.7 billion Business Tax Break.
“All major Australian bus and coach suppliers would have seen a spike in deliveries before June 30 resulting from the tax incentive,” BCI Australia CEO Ivan Furlanetto says.
The spike in June deliveries resulted from orders placed before December 31 last year to qualify for a sliding scale of tax deductions, he says.
Among the big buys was an order for 40 BCIs just delivered to Murrays Coaches.
The 15 3-axle Explorers and 25 Cruiser12s are already in service, and part of an industry-wide investment in BCI of 72 vehicles for the month.
BCI supply buses for school route services, and are looking to increase its presence in the city bus market.
“Our challenge is to keep sales turning over during the next few months when demand for school buses tend to drop off and city bus sales pick up,” he says.
And with recent orders now taking BCI past 700 vehicles in service in Australia, Furlanetto admits that BCI is yet to make in-roads into the metro market.
He says his company is working hard at increasing city bus sales, campaigning towards the end of 2010 when financing decisions are made by urban route service operators.
“There’s definitely room for BCI to get into this market,” he says.
BCI is forecasting 20 units to be delivered in July, which includes new orders from existing clients.
He says repeat business is testimony to the quality of the product.
“We wouldn’t be selling any vehicles if product quality wasn’t up,” Furlanetto says.
He also says BCI is the leading supplier of alternative fuel vehicles, including 9 diesel-electric ‘hybrids’ in service around Australia, and one full electric bus.
“No other chassis supplier has that many hybrid buses on the road in Australia,” he says.