The trip to the Pines City — or anywhere for that matter — has to start on the way there, right?

That's what they have in mind after BJ Mercantile Inc. recently turned over the first for of the initial 10 Scania Marcopolo Paradiso buses ordered by Genesis Transport Services Inc. as part of its bid to upgrade the JoyBus fleet servicing the Manila-Baguio route.

BJ Mercantile Inc. is celebrating its 50th year of operations and its 10th year of being the exclusive distributor of Scania in the country.

Now to highlight such milestone, it offers first-class travel to Baguio onboard the new Scania Marcopolo Paradiso JoyBus.

The Scania Marcopolo Paradiso JoyBus boasts unmatched level of comfort, safety, and convenience with its 28 VIP Seats that are bigger, wider, and softer than the standard upgraded seats you see in the market.

It has a lot of legroom, large overhead compartments for luggage, individual USB charging ports, a well-appointed toilet. and you can even enjoy a movie or two in your very own video-on-board Bus Pad.

Its 360-horsepower engine mated with an eight-speed Scania Opticruise Gearbox makes easy work of the climb up to the City of Pines.

For maximum safety it is equipped with Scania ESP or electronic stability program that monitors key stability parameters and automatically triggers appropriate controls. Scania Retarder, on the other hand, acts as secondary brakes to prevent the bus from over speeding especially when traveling down Marcos Highway or Kennon Road.

"With their century of experience when it comes to bus operations, Scania proved that they could keep up with the continuous evolution of technology and solve modern day challenges. But the main reason we were charmed by Scania was upon seeing first-hand the many positive reviews from clients and passengers alike during our visit last year to BusWorld Europe," said Riza Angara-Moises, president and CEO of GTSI.

From three buses in 1991, GTSI's fleet has grown to 456 buses servicing Southern and Northern Luzon.

The JoyBus came into being in August 2010 after GTSI President Riza Angara-Moises came upon an article while in the United States about an executive bus service that shuttled high-profile individuals between Washington and New York and decided to launch something similar in the Philippines.

It was aptly named JoyBus as it was at a time when her sister miraculously survived a terrible vehicular accident which brought so much joy to the family. GTSI specifically chose the Marcopolo bus body due to its exceptional passenger experience saying it fits with their mission of bringing joy to their passengers every time they ride the JoyBus.

With more than 70 years of existence, Marcopolo is a world reference in the manufacture of bus bodies and in the development of electromobility solutions in line with the most modern concepts of sustainability.

With products running in over 120 countries across the five continents and aligned with the purpose of being a protagonist in mobility solutions, Marcopolo stands out for its broad portfolio of products developed with high technology to meet the needs of its customers.

Scania's long-standing partnership with Marcopolo has allowed them to produce exceptional buses that reaps benefits for passengers and fleet operators alike while at the same time helps preserve the planet.

"Scania is driving the shift towards a more sustainable transport system. These new JoyBuses are testament to that as they offer low fuel consumption, have a low carbon footprint and enhances the safety of its passengers and the motoring public," said Karl Johan Clason, Presales and Logistics director of Scania Southeast Asia.