Musaffah firm gets on the buses with delivery for Al Ain

ABU DHABI // Hafilat Industries, a bus manufacturing company in Musaffah, has delivered the first bus in a batch of 14 ordered by the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi. The bus is intended for use on commercial routes in Al Ain. Hafilat, a joint venture established between the Emirates Link investment group and Volgren, an Australian bus producer based in the state of Victoria, expects to build 50 buses this year and hopes to double output in 2011. The bus was handed over during a visit to the factory made by John Brumby, the premier of Victoria, who was visiting the plant as part of a two-day trade mission designed to strengthen the links between the Australian state and the Emirates. Mr Brumby described the Hafilat-Volgren joint venture as "a fantastic partnership producing wonderful outcomes in terms of public transport and local jobs. It's a relationship which I think could be good for trade and good for public transport as well."