Citroen South Africa enters minibus taxi market

Citroen South Africa has announced its entrance to the local market for minibus’ with a range of 15-, 16- and 19-seater Relay buses.

“We are already encouraged with our success in the 2012 government tender and have, to date, supplied 45 diesel-engined 16- and 19-seater minibuses to government agencies including the SA Police Service, Legal Aid and Water Affairs,” says National Fleet and Business-to-Business Manager, Khyl Reddy.

“We are expecting to sell many more vehicles via the government tender and are aiming to sell about 1000 minibuses in South Africa this year,“ he added.

Citroen Relay Minibus in South Africa

Manufactured in Italy, the Citroen Relay panel vans are then shipped to France which in turn exports them to South Africa where Bustruck Conversions converts them according to the SA Government regulations for minibus taxis. These regulations include the proper fitting of windows, a strengthened floor, seat belts and radios.

The 15 and 16-seater models are fitted with 2.2-litre engines, while the 19-seater boasts a 3-litre power unit. The 15-seater is mated to a five speed manual gearbox while the 16 and 19-seater models are mated to a six speed transmission. The models will all be fitted with airbags for the driver and front passenger.

“We are very aware of the high expectations of taxi operators and their need to keep downtime to a minimum and believe that with the excellent quality of our Relay minibuses and a tried and tested after-sales back-up system, we are now ideally placed to become an increasingly significant player in this market,” concluded Khyl Reddy.

Citroen Relay Minibus – Price

Citroen South Africa has come together with Taxi Choice as a finance and insurance provider and will be providing vehicles through the Rent 2 Own programme operated by Absa. This programme will allow buyers to finance the vehicle at lower interest rates, lower insurance premiums, minimal extras and with monthly savings.

All models have a 5-year/100 service plan with a 3-year/100 000km warranty. Servicing is required every 20 000km.