The UK-based Hanover Displays, a global leader in electronic destination sign boards for the public transport industry, is one of the early entrants in the Indian market catering to the city bus segment. It is currently working with the Pune-based Power Electronics an agent for the Indian market. In the last five years, Hanover Displays has bagged many major orders, including for 625 city buses of BMTC, in addition to 316 Volvo buses.Established in 1985, Hanover Displays has consistently grown and developed, continually refining its product range to meet the specific demands of our customers. It manufacture passenger information systems for the transport industry which are used in over 50 countries around the world. Other than LED signs, Hanover produces a variety of other passenger information systems utilising the latest in LCD and voice synthesis technology.
Hanover is an ISO 9001 & 14001 company based in Lewes, England where all our production is carried out. The company also has sales and service centres in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Middle East and the Americas. In addition, the company has subsidiaries in France, Italy, Spain, Australia, USA & Oman.
Mr. Steven Colquhoun, General Manager, Hanover Display Ltd., says: “Hanover was one of the early entrants in India for introducing Daylight Viewable LED Destination Displays signs. One of the major orders bagged by Hanover Displays is for 316 VOLVO buses procured by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) which are now running throughout Bangalore. This has received tremendous positive response from the general public who now find it very convenient to read the route numbers and destinations from a long distance under all lighting conditions, that too in the local language - Kannada in this case. This is a welcome contribution to commuters traveling in city transport buses”.
Other important orders include 555 city buses supplied to Nigeria by Ashok Leyland and more than 100 tarmac coaches supplied to Jet Airways and Indigo Airlines by Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. Currently more than 1,500 buses in India are fitted with electronic sign boards from Hanover Displays.
Mr. Colquhoun says: “Our LED signs have been approved by Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland for city buses as well as for airport transfer coaches. They have already installed our LED display signs in the coaches/buses supplied in the domestic market and also for export orders”.
Hanover can provide a complete range of display signs for front, side, rear and interior positioning, which fit all currently available bus and coach models.
Many of the City Transport Undertakings (particularly those who are implementing BRTS) are increasingly looking at using Electronic signboards as these are ideally suited for such applications with the additional feature of generating sizeable revenues from indoor advertisements. Hanover also caters to the requirements of static signs for bus shelters.
Hanover is currently importing most of the components from its UK production facility with some final assembly operations taking place in India. The company is closely looking at the option of setting up a manufacturing facility in India.
Hanover is confident about the quality and reliability of its products offering a 10 year guarantee which covers all signs and controller components. Any technical fault is repaired or replaced free of charge for a minimum of 10 years. The company has a team of well trained after sales engineers to assist customers.
Globally Hanover Display Systems clocked a business turnover of £20 million pounds last year. The company sells its products in over 50 countries worldwide with 85% of the total business turnover coming from Electronic display systems for buses.
Mr. Colquhoun says: “Electronic sign boards will provide clear and precise information for the passengers and is particularly in the interest of passengers who are visually impaired. I’m positive that the government will eventually come out with a legislation which will make it mandatory to fit these products on all city buses”.
