9. SCHOOL BUS OF THE YEAR
Nominees: a) BharatBenz 917 School bus. b) Ashok Leyland Sunshine School bus.
Ferrying pupils, school buses are about safety, comfort and punctuality. Impervious to fluctuations in the CV industry, these new breed of buses comply with often conflicting parameters. Standing up to the expectations of parents and school managements, not to forget the expectations of those that manage the operations day-in and dayout, school buses are catering to emerging needs. They are also catering to the changing needs and regulations. Consider the winner in this category, and the Ashok Leyland Sunshine school bus amounts to a modern construction. Built with inputs from pupils, parents, school teachers and the rest of the stakeholders, the bus is claimed to be the first to offer frontal crash protection and rollover protection. It is also claimed to be the first to offer anti-bacteial interiors. Meeting AIS052 and AIS063 bus codes, the Sunshine features low entry step to facilitate easy entry and exit. Efforts have been made to eliminate blind spots faced by the driver. Powering the bus is a 100 hp, 2.9-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine that produces a peak torque of 320 Nm at 12002000 rpm.