China's bus giant to train local staff with new center in Venezuela

A training center for local drivers and maintenance technicians, set up by China's Yutong Bus Company, opened here Friday in Venezuela's capital city of Caracas.

Covering an area of 1,200 square meters, the center boasts of modern technology for bus maintenance, with two simulators designed for various routes and types of units in Venezuela.

It also offers value-added service, high quality workmanship and efficient technology transfer to the Venezuela people, according to the company.

With advanced technology and equipments, the center is the most modern one of its kind in Venezuela, said Jose Luis Bernardo, Venezuelan minister of transportation during the opening ceremony.

"The Venezuelan center is equipped with the best facilities and advanced technology, which will be a standard for future establishment of new training centers," Yutong's manager in Venezuela Xun Chunhui said.

The essence of the cooperation on such projects to be sustainable and efficient in the future is the training of human resources, and "that is why we value very positively the initiative of this project," said Ji Xianzheng, the economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela.

Yutong, which started its cooperation in Venezuela nine years ago, opened its first sale outlet in 2007 and has about 6,000 buses so far circulating in this South American nation.

The Venezuelan government opened about 80 new public transportation routes last year running with Yutong buses, conveying over three million people on a daily basis. Endi