Haha. Really been used for the launch by PM today. With the BSEP
Advertisement as well.
Industrial analysis:
This launch is a big deal. Looks like STK/MAN want the whole
production 3-door or/and Euro 6 bus contract really, really
badly.
If there is one TIB838H moment in BCM, this is it - to become
the first Euro 6 public bus to be introduced in Singapore. They
didn't airlift the whole unit into Singapore this time because they
didn't have to (but it is possible the Euro 6 engine may have to be
flown in to meet the deadline though). We are not going to have
newer emission standards for quite a while (Euro VII doesn't exist
yet).
All three major DD manufacturers have gone to lengths not to
alert their competition to what they were doing, but only STK/MAN
was successful. It is unfortunate that ADL and Volvo were exposed
by bus lobbyists (either by chance or deliberately) before they
could make their proper move. That may have tipped STK/MAN to push
their product out to market more quickly to have the first-mover
advantage.
Some may think that using SG5999Z rear door configuration as the
scale bus model in presentation to PM Lee on the ceremony was some
sort of mistake. It isn't. There is a very good reason why this
particular scale bus model was used for this particular launch
occasion.
If STK/MAN in the meantime, with the introduction of SG2017C,
trial of SG5999Z and advantage of incumbency, manages to convince
LTA they can do the 3-door Euro 6 DD production run cheaper and
faster than the other two (and that probability is quite high),
then it's Game Over for ADL and Volvo.
This is very important contract for the manufacturers because
once LTA commits, it will be for a very, very long time and they
don't switch easily. The Kawasaki MRT train contracts (from C151 to
C151C to T251) is an example of that.