[hrag]

Originally Posted by sary

I belive KSRTC buses are well maintained and i can bank on .

Not sure about the other buses but KSRTC (Karnataka) maintains Volvos very well.

OT: Another option is the Meghadoota A/C which is reputedly more comfortable than the Volvos for overnight journeys.

[rajeshbolero]

I had the opportunity to travel in a Volvo thrice - once between Bangalore-Udupi, and twice between Palakkad-Bangalore. The journeys on all the three occasions have been worst (night ride). We pay a hefty amount for comfort compared to other services and what we get is sleepless night with lot of body pain after the numerous power-brakings by the expert volvo trained drivers (Karnataka KSRTC). The drivers drive them like crazy and don't remember that there are many asleep in the bus who don't appreciate accelerating upto 100 kmph and then suddenly braking after around 10 or 15 seconds, when they don't find space to overtake the trucks. The trucks are the ones that bring us items that we use in our daily lives and they are made to feel inferior.

During the high speed turns, the ABS may work, but our bodies are not fitted with ABS, so they react the same way as when we go in a roller coaster (mind you, we paid to travel from point A to point B and not for a roller coaster ride that too at night when our bodies need rest) They drive as if they are the owners of the road and the other road users - the cars, trucks, autos, other buses are forced to give way due to the speed at which these buses approach from behind.

The passengers don't get a pee-break too on some occasions and the drivers stop at small roadside tea-shops (this for a VOLVO with a premium ticket), what about the ladies and the elderly in the bus?. Ideally the speed should be restricted to 80 km and they should be given the same respect as other road users in this country. Ashok Leyland and TATA made buses for India and suited for India. I Hope Volvo also does the same. We have Indian highways (where a cyclist may suddenly feel like crossing the road or may be cow too), not AUTOBAHNs. LIVE AND LET LIVE, that should be the mantra.

[dkamath]

Had a painful experience with a Volvo about 2 months back. Though this was the only bad experience after having travelled solely on the Airavat for about 2 years now. It was like this: KSRTC M'lore division had sent an Airavat plying between M'lore-Mumbai, for repairs at the Lathangi Volvo Service centre near Electronic City. The bus was stationed there for 3 days, and was put as a special bus during it's return trip to M'lore. Now to the distress part. Somewhere after Hunsur, water from the radiator drains out and we wait till it cools down, and resuume after the fill. Then, the silencer pipe breaks lose while negotiating a huge speed breaker sometime later. The driver uses a sleeping blanket to tie the muffler with the body frame. Journey continues. Finally the bus can take it no more. A crucial air pipe supposedly breaks, causing loss of pressure to the clutch and brakes. We are stranded at a desolate area, about 30 kms behind Madikeri. The poor driver was still told to drive along till Madikeri, as the replacement bus was waiting over there. He drove with the retarder ON. We are then moved to the replacement bus, and reach M'lore at 11am where we would otherwise had reached at 7am, latest :(
Not to forget, we were told that the blanket burnt down due to excess heat by the time we reached Madikeri. The driver was quite friendly and answering most of our curious queries about the Volvo

[SirAlec]

Fake volvo running on Siliiguri-kolkatta route

[kpzen]

Whats the actual top speed of B7R...?
I have heard of different top speeds from different people...Wonder what's true!!

[HotChillyPepper]

Originally Posted by Bullfrog

So guys be warned. You can trust the Volvo engineering but not the software engineers

cheers
Bullfrog

Yes.. You can never build software bug free. You can only make it better.

[samirsarkar]

One point worth mentioning here. The B7Rs used by tansport companies abroad have a built-in toilet with flush facility. With India being such a huge country involving high travel times, I wonder why none of the companies have bothered to have a built-in toilet in these buses.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by samirsarkar

...With India being such a huge country involving high travel times, I wonder why none of the companies have bothered to have a built-in toilet in these buses.

Because we have the countryside, and instead of that toilet we can put in 5 more seats!

cya
R

[Jr Godzilla]

rajeshbolero
i agree with you considering people travelling, old etc who would need rest

but but the drivers driving these VOLVO's have amazing skill levels and I always take the FIRST seat on Left to watch this "midnight madness". I have couple of Night Videos where the driver was doing well over 100kmph on the chennai pondy stretch and negotiating the road barriers at 90kmph that keep appearing at regular intervals.

The best I love to watch is the 2ft Tailgating Overtake maneuver.
Simply superb reflexes. I always think of trying this, but my stupid brain does not have the guts nor the reflexes.

[Ram]

MSRTC Shivneri Volvos have a looser seat layout (longitudinal seat-to-seat spacing) than the privately run Neeta Volvos. They actually have fewer seats. For the long-distance passenger it gives more legroom. The same is also true of the Sharma Volvos that go Mumbai-Bangalore. I traveled on one which even had wider seats.

One row on the left and two-abreast on the right, separated by a wide comfort aisle.

This bus also had two LCD flat screen TVs. One for the front half of the bus
and one in the middle for the rear half.

So if there are operators (state or private) that care for passenger comfort, I see no reason why, in the future, we can't have other comforts like chemical toilets too!

[trrk]

Hi,

A little OT though!

> I see no reason why, in the future, we can't have other comforts like
> chemical toilets too!

Back somewehre around 1975 - 1976, the then Kerala Government was very progressive and introduced a couple of long distance deluxe buses with chemical toilet in the place where the last row of seats are in a normal bus. This bus also had panaromic dark glasses in the rear.

Once I travelled in the bus and was curious about the toilet. So decide to check it out.

Two problems:

1. You need two hands to hang on to the bus.
2. The panaromic glass (though dark enough that people from outside may not be able to see you, hopefully) gives you the feeling as if you are on an open stage for everybody to see you.

I got out without actually finishing the intended job.

Except for the exhibition like feeling, it would have been usable when the bus was stationary.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by rajeshbolero

During the high speed turns, the ABS may work, but our bodies are not fitted with ABS, so they react the same way as when we go in a roller coaster (mind you, we paid to travel from point A to point B and not for a roller coaster ride that too at night when our bodies need rest) They drive as if they are the owners of the road and the other road users - the cars, trucks, autos, other buses are forced to give way due to the speed at which these buses approach from behind.

KSTDC (Karnataka Tourism) Volvo buses have seat belt(lap belt only) for the front row seats !!!

[dkamath]

That was a funny episode about the chemical toilet, Dr.Rajesh

Originally Posted by sriturl

KSTDC (Karnataka Tourism) Volvo buses have seat belt(lap belt only) for the front row seats !!!

Guess it's standard among all Volvos. KSRTC Airavat has it too.

[rajeshbolero]

2ft Tailgating Overtake maneuver - dear bhpian, i wish that you a long life ahead.

I hope you understand the consequences while tail-gating at 2 ft distances at speeds of 50 to 60 kmph, the volvo driver will never know what is in the mind of the driver driving the vehicle in the front or what comes in front of that vehicle - that too at night. A brake application of the front vehicle and the front-engine-less Volvo would have to be rebuilt (about the front passengers, I dont wish to say what would they end up as)

All families wish that their near and dear ones who are travelling reach their destinations safely. For racing, there are drag-racing and go-karting, isnt it?

I am closely associated with few BMTC drivers who run on our company routes and I am aware of the stresses that they are in while driving. Our drivers start at 1.30 pm and get their break at 11.00 pm, next day they start at 5.30 am and expect the shift to end at 1.00 pm, but if their partner doesnt turn up, they have to continue till 11.00 p.m that night and start all over at 5.30 am the next day. Just see how many hours they are behind the wheel. What happens to their concentration levels and their reflexes then?.

Its wise to travel safe at moderate speeds than test one's and other's lucks.

I thank you for responding to the post.

[ssdubai]

So the B7R Volvo is just doing what its best at.
Redefining THE BUS.
From transforming the Indian Bus-scape in early 2000 where even the
aam admi wrote off the buses, to the Cushion on Wheels phenomenon -Bus is Best , the B7R has indeed a lot of fan following (which includes me too).

The New B7R i travelled recently is indeed a Right Inheritor of the heritage.
At 290BHP,The EuroIII/IV Compatible, Lift Option (almost half a ft.) , the vehicle with all the Tech Features and new looks is a real stuff.
Travelling it in the Bangalore-Mangalore route was the best experience.
The road never fet so good despite all the roadlessness.

And as always the KSRTC-Karnataka seems to prove that they are the Best in this Business -be it -Timing,Neatness,Staff- Hats off to these guys who really ensure that the Govenment run RTC's know how to compete despite being a Public Entity.

Seems that Kesenein,Divakar and Sharma too have these buses.So now i know which bus to pick to Mumbai or Hyderabad.



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