Turkish, Israeli firms sign major bus deal
As part of franchise agreement, Alon Group to import hundreds of buses manufactured by Turkey's TEMSA company
After the diplomatic reconciliation
between Israel
and Turkey, comes a major deal between companies from the two countries: Yossi Noiman, CEO of the Alon Group which imports buses and trucks, has signed a franchise agreement with Turkish Sabanci Group, one of the biggest bus manufacturers in Europe.
Under the agreement, the Alon Group will import hundreds of buses manufactured by the TEMSA company, which is owned by the Sabanci Group.
New Record
Hadar Kane, Calcalist
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The first model marketed in Israel is the MD9 midibus, which has 39 seats and a large luggage compartment suitable for tourism purposes. The model won the Bus of the Year competition held in Belgium.
The midibus was chosen to cater to the needs of incoming tourist groups, which usually do not include more than 30 people. This bus model helps save on fuel and has the advantage of easier mobility within cities and more convenient parking options.
According to Noiman, the reconciliation between Israel and Turkey helped advance the deal. "The reconciliation gave the two sides the comfort to strike the deal. The Turkish product is considered to be of high-quality and is only sold in Europe. Our plan is to market hundreds of these buses."
