Anbessa Bus to launch new quality transport solution
The Anbessa City Bus Enterprise (ACBE) is to launch a pricier and improved service. It will target commuters currently using taxis, who would prefer a cheaper alternative that is better than the current services offered by Anbessa.
The new service, which is slated to begin in March or April 2014 using 50 new buses, will include limiting the number of passengers in order to improve the comfort of passengers. It will also use new buses with a redesigned interior.
Decisions as to where to acquire the new buses is yet to be made, according to Bedilu Assefa, general manager of the Enterprise, though the Metal & Engineering Corporation (MetEC) is a possibility.
Additional details, such as the changes in the interior, fees, routes and other standards, are still under preparation by the Enterprise.
The Enterprise has long known that significant numbers of commuters who would prefer the cheaper option of a bus ride, go out of their way to take pricier taxis.
This is because they do not want to have to endure the discomfort of crowded buses, according to Bedilu.
But, financing problems have prevented Anbessa from launching this new service earlier.
The Enterprise currently transports 600,000 commuters daily for a relatively cheap price, supported by a subsidy from the Addis Ababa City Administration.
"We are giving transportation services for a very low price. For example, a trip that can cost 3.50 Br through other transport providers is 1.50 Br on our buses," said Bedilu.
Taxi drivers and assistants contacted by Fortune, though confident the new service will reduce their burden during peak hours when the number of commuters swells, expressed concerns over its impact during regular hours when the number of commuters drops.
"The supply of transportation in the city is below the demand," assures Bedilu. "We will only help ease the problem, so taxis and other transporters will not be affected."
In addition to its plan to add an enhanced service, Anbessa is also working on improving the regular service it currently provides.
As part of its plan to raise the number of active service giving buses from 660 to 816 by the end of the current month, it has started receiving new articulated buses from the MetEC.
"We received 30 buses on Monday, October 15, 2013. These buses are among the 50 buses that we ordered in July," said Bedilu.
The arrival of another 15 buses is expected next week. The inspection team of the Enterprise is currently conducting evaluations at the assembling plant of the MetEC, at Bishoftu, 47km south of Addis Ababa.
This will make sure that the buses are assembled based on a certain specification, according to the general manager.
Anbessa and the MetEC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the buses in July 2013 and signed a procurement deal two weeks ago. The deal puts the price of one bus at 3.1 million Br.
Anbessa also plans to enlarge the size of its fleet by repairing 50 buses that are currently out of service and redeploying them.
"We previously faced difficulties in getting spare parts for the old buses, due to delays related to their importation, but now we have acquired the spare parts," Bedilu told Fortune.
The Addis Ababa City Administration plans to improve the people to bus ratio, from 1:12 000 to 1:6000, by 2015.
Anbessa, which began operations in Addis Ababa in 1943 as the first public transport company, currently owns 1,230 buses and covers 40pc of the transport demand in the city.
Source: Addis Fortune
The new service, which is slated to begin in March or April 2014 using 50 new buses, will include limiting the number of passengers in order to improve the comfort of passengers. It will also use new buses with a redesigned interior.
Decisions as to where to acquire the new buses is yet to be made, according to Bedilu Assefa, general manager of the Enterprise, though the Metal & Engineering Corporation (MetEC) is a possibility.
Additional details, such as the changes in the interior, fees, routes and other standards, are still under preparation by the Enterprise.
The Enterprise has long known that significant numbers of commuters who would prefer the cheaper option of a bus ride, go out of their way to take pricier taxis.
This is because they do not want to have to endure the discomfort of crowded buses, according to Bedilu.
But, financing problems have prevented Anbessa from launching this new service earlier.
The Enterprise currently transports 600,000 commuters daily for a relatively cheap price, supported by a subsidy from the Addis Ababa City Administration.
"We are giving transportation services for a very low price. For example, a trip that can cost 3.50 Br through other transport providers is 1.50 Br on our buses," said Bedilu.
Taxi drivers and assistants contacted by Fortune, though confident the new service will reduce their burden during peak hours when the number of commuters swells, expressed concerns over its impact during regular hours when the number of commuters drops.
"The supply of transportation in the city is below the demand," assures Bedilu. "We will only help ease the problem, so taxis and other transporters will not be affected."
In addition to its plan to add an enhanced service, Anbessa is also working on improving the regular service it currently provides.
As part of its plan to raise the number of active service giving buses from 660 to 816 by the end of the current month, it has started receiving new articulated buses from the MetEC.
"We received 30 buses on Monday, October 15, 2013. These buses are among the 50 buses that we ordered in July," said Bedilu.
The arrival of another 15 buses is expected next week. The inspection team of the Enterprise is currently conducting evaluations at the assembling plant of the MetEC, at Bishoftu, 47km south of Addis Ababa.
This will make sure that the buses are assembled based on a certain specification, according to the general manager.
Anbessa and the MetEC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the buses in July 2013 and signed a procurement deal two weeks ago. The deal puts the price of one bus at 3.1 million Br.
Anbessa also plans to enlarge the size of its fleet by repairing 50 buses that are currently out of service and redeploying them.
"We previously faced difficulties in getting spare parts for the old buses, due to delays related to their importation, but now we have acquired the spare parts," Bedilu told Fortune.
The Addis Ababa City Administration plans to improve the people to bus ratio, from 1:12 000 to 1:6000, by 2015.
Anbessa, which began operations in Addis Ababa in 1943 as the first public transport company, currently owns 1,230 buses and covers 40pc of the transport demand in the city.
Source: Addis Fortune
