Busworld Southeast Asia, organized from 20 to 22 May 2026, once again confirmed why Jakarta, the largest city in the world by population, is becoming an important meeting place for the bus and coach industry in ASEAN. The fourth edition of the show brought together 47 exhibitors from 9 countries and welcomed 5,133 registered visitors from 41 countries. The exhibition covered around 8,000 sqm and featured 25 vehicles on display. The next edition will take place in May 2028.
The exhibition show floor also clearly showed how important comfort and passenger experience have become in the Southeast Asian bus market. Premium seating layouts, high- quality interiors, and typical sleeper coaches attracted strong attention. In the long-distance segment, operators increasingly offer different travel classes, with tickets for both regular seats and private sleeper cabins, like airlines and railways.
Although the Indonesian market is currently more cautious, the atmosphere at the exhibition was positive. Exhibitors reported busy stands, intensive meetings, and strong interest from across the industry. Besides sales discussions, many companies also appreciated the sourcing opportunities for components, parts, and technical solutions. Several exhibitors stressed that Busworld Southeast Asia is not only a sales platform, but also an important sourcing event for the regional bus industry.
“Everyone was there,” participants said during the event. The exhibition welcomed not only the leading Indonesian bodybuilders, but also many operators from public transport, long distance transport, and tourism activities.
A group of Malaysian bus and coach operators attended the Busworld show, accompanied by Masita Binti Mat Isa, Deputy Director General of Operations at APAD, the Malaysian land public transport agency. Together with the international trade press, they also visited TransJakarta, partner of Busworld Southeast Asia, and one of the world’s largest Bus Rapid Transit systems. With more than one million passengers per day, TransJakarta plays a key role in the modernization and electrification of public transport in Jakarta and is increasingly seen as a reference project for Southeast Asia.
Indonesia remains the heart of the regional bus industry
Indonesia plays a significant role in the Southeast Asian bus sector. The country has one of the region’s largest bus markets and a strong local bodybuilder industry. Unlike Europe, many bus manufacturers in Indonesia work with a chassis-bodybuilder model, where local bodybuilders play a key role in customized design, finishing, and customer relations. This explains why international companies increasingly choose to work together with local partners.
MAN Truck & Bus made its debut at Busworld Southeast Asia with a clear focus on chassis solutions and cooperation with Indonesian bodybuilders. Together with local partner PT Millennium Inframach Distribusi Indonesia, the company highlighted the importance of local market knowledge and existing customer relations.
MAN and Inframach also reacted very positively to both the market entry in Indonesia and the first participation at Busworld Southeast Asia. The company reported constructive talks with several bodybuilders and already secured a repeat order during the event, confirming the potential of the Indonesian market.
Electrification and new mobility solutions are also slowly gaining ground in Indonesia. INVI attracted attention with the introduction of Higer buses to the Indonesian market, while SAG presented Golden Dragon. Both companies show the growing presence of Chinese bus brands in the region.
One of the show highlights was the presentation of Laksana’s new electric coach for football club Persija Jakarta. The Legacy SR3 Neo Panorama, built on a Hyundai Elec City chassis, will become the first fully electric official team bus for an Indonesian football club, illustrating how electrification is gradually moving into premium and lifestyle-oriented transport segments.
Strong first participations
Several new exhibitors reacted very positively to their participation. First-time exhibitor Trijaya Union used Busworld Southeast Asia as an international launch platform. The Indonesian bodybuilder, active since 1978, presented the Neo Grantour and Triun MX, together with the new premium microbus Triun CX, aimed at the growing tourism segment. Piala Mas also made its debut at Busworld Southeast Asia. The Indonesian bodybuilder attracted attention among the established national players and used the event to present its latest developments, including the recent Rexus generation.
Conference program brought together regional mobility experts
Alongside the exhibition, Busworld Southeast Asia organised an extensive conference program with more than 40 expert speakers from the industry. The program focused on the future of bus mobility in Southeast Asia, covering topics such as electrification, digitalization, safety, multimodal integration, and the international ambitions of the ASEAN bus industry. Speakers included representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, TransJakarta, LTA Singapore, UITP, Frost & Sullivan and several leading bus builders and operators from the region.
Special attention was given to the fast development of Indonesia as a bus market. Sessions about intercity and long-distance transport highlighted the growing demand for comfort, safety, and premium travel concepts, while other panels focused on electrification, charging infrastructure, and the role of digitalization in urban mobility. The position of Southeast Asian bodybuilders in the global market was also an important topic. Speakers from companies such as MAN, Laksana, Gemilang Coachwork and ASKARINDO discussed how local expertise and international cooperation can strengthen the export position of the region.
Awards highlighted innovation and design
Several awards were presented during Busworld Southeast Asia to recognize vehicles and companies for design, innovation, and passenger comfort. The winners were selected through online voting and Instagram voting, showing the strong involvement of the Indonesian bus industry and bus fan community. PT Adiputro Wirasejati confirmed its strong position in the Indonesian coach market with several awards. The SDD Jetbus 5 won “Bus of the Year”, while the MHD Single Glass Jetbus 5 received the award for “Best Coach Design”. Piala Mas also stood out during the event. The All New Rexus 8D won both “The Most Favorite Bus” and “Most Eye-Catching Bus”, showing once again how important design and appearance are in the Indonesian market.
Other awards included:
- “Most Interior Comfort Bus”: Semeru by PT Laksana Bus Manufaktur
- “Most Futuristic Bus”: MTrans DD 4M by PT Laksana Bus Manufaktur
- “Most Luxury Coach”: Surya Bali – Skylander R25 Vision Sleeper by PT Mekar
Armada Jaya - “Best E-Bus Design”: E-Velocity W1 by PT Tentrem Sejahtera
- “Most Favorite E-Bus”: MAX by Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co., Ltd.
The awards emphasized how strongly comfort, interior experience and distinctive design are shaping the Southeast Asian bus market, especially in the premium intercity and sleeper
coach segment.
“You could feel the growth of Busworld Southeast Asia everywhere on the show floor. Exhibitors and visitors spontaneously told us this edition felt more international, more complete, and more dynamic,” said Vincent Dewaele, General Manager of Busworld International. “Indonesia and Busworld are both ready for the next phase. This edition confirmed the enormous potential of the region and the strong international interest in the Indonesian bus industry. Together with our partners, we have taken a crucial step forward Press release Busworld Southeast Asia – 27 May 2026 4 and we are determined to continue expanding the event’s international reach in the years ahead.”
Next appointment:
May 2028 With strong attendance, growing international participation and a clear confirmation of Indonesia as a strategic bus market, Busworld Southeast Asia is already looking forward to the next edition in May 2028.
