MONTREAL - Some might associate bus rides with knee jarring journeys in a sardine tin, but Nova Bus has come out with a new model that it hopes will evoke the experience of travelling in a luxurious high-tech stretch limo, minus the minibar.
Nova, a branch of Volvo Motors, unveiled a new model Tuesday in St-Eustache, which it hopes will be a big seller to many transit fleets.
The vehicle is souped up with optional security cams, LCD, better wheelchair access, asymmetrical ceiling and such features are optional such as air conditioning and wifi.
Sweaty summer commuters might not want to pop the bubbly yet, air conditioning and some of those options won't necessarily be chosen by all fleets.
Montreal will be taking bids for a new set of buses in March and Nova is hoping that their flashy new look will appeal to the transit corporation.
Part of the pitch is that the new model is not onerously expensive.
"Customers are expecting to pay more for this new interior because they think it's really nice and they think it has a lot of advantages," said Nova Director of Public Planning Jean-Yves Vallee. "It's cost neutral and that's very good news for the customers and we think that will open up some markets to us."
Part of Nova's strategy was to come up with something that evoked a wow factor to those who behold the vehicle.
"The driving factor was aesthetics. It had to be aesthetically pleasing," said Vallee.
