Looks for orders from the region: Micro Cars, Sri Lanka’s only automobile manufacturer hopes to produce 30 ‘Micro Duodeck” buses every month. Micro Cars has invested over Rs. 300 million for this project. Chairman of Micro Cars Lawrence Perera said they have firm orders from the region and are now looking at more orders from Sri Lanka from the leisure sector.
The company hopes to market the Micro Duodeck for around Rs. 12 million. “If the same quality bus was to be imported it would cost around Rs. 50 million” he said. Mr. Perera said that for the moment there is around 25 percent local value addition and this would be increased by around 10 percent by the end of the year.
The “Micro Doudeck” is a modern design fitted with Euro 2, Cummings engine, ABS brakes, automatic doors, air conditioners and low floor, for easy access could compete with any established European brands.
With a vision to provide solutions to the transport infrastructure needs of the country, which is most important to a developing country such as ours, has created history by manufacturing the fully aluminium monocoque double Decker bus for the first time in the South East Asian region.
“This modern design “Micro Duodeck” when used commercially will no change the outlook of Sri Lankan roads, and facilitate to provide a comfortable ride to the general public, who are presently compelled to take the most uncomfortable option of transport, as this bus could be used for city transport.”
The bus is fitted with 102 seats, and luxury transport fitted with 65 luxury reclining seats with footrest. With the expansion project envisaged in Hambantota, it could increase the capacity depending on the order levels within a very short period.
Micro Cars Ltd presently consists of 322 employees. They are confident that they could increase their cadre to around 800 after securing the potential local and export orders, with the commissioning of the new manufacturing facility in Hambantota.
Micro Cars assemble range of SUV’s “ Micro Rexton”, Micro Kyron”, “Micro Actyon” which too, was the first in Sri Lanka, under a “Technology Transfer” agreement with Ssangyong Motor Company of Korea, which is the largest SUV manufacturer in Korea using Mercedes Benz technology.
Micro Cars Ltd, the indigenous car designer, developer and manufacturer in Sri Lanka, is ranked today as the 14th country to have designed, developed and manufactured their indigenous automobile.
Micro Cars Ltd is the designer of the “Lanka Econo Rail” the economical rail solution to the country will embark on the manufacturing project in the near future.
by Shirajiv SIRIMANE [ source: dailynews.lk ]
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