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Old 28th March 2008, 19:40   #76
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I just travelled from BLR to COK in one of these machines after a long time. Just forgot how tough travelling in a trawler on high seas could be.

These guys just think they own they road and are in an overtaking frenzy all night long and i was swinging from end to end like a ragged doll(They treat it like a 407 i guess).

If you happen to be awake, god help you, if not down a few shots , shut your eyes and be rocked into oblivion
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Old 29th March 2008, 00:56   #77
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Originally Posted by sanjayatarizona View Post
I just travelled from BLR to COK in one of these machines after a long time. Just forgot how tough travelling in a trawler on high seas could be.

These guys just think they own they road and are in an overtaking frenzy all night long and i was swinging from end to end like a ragged doll(They treat it like a 407 i guess).

If you happen to be awake, god help you, if not down a few shots , shut your eyes and be rocked into oblivion
Just back after a Kochi-Ooty-Kochi on my NHC. On the return trip, I overtook this BLR-COK KSRTC B7R and man! This monster kept pursuing me... Had a tough time shaking him off. Amazing overtaking abilities. Whenever I thought I left him behind, he kept reappearing out of nowhere!
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Old 30th March 2008, 17:34   #78
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There is a huge difference in the smoothness of the Volvo and the new generation Tata buses with similar bodies.

I recently did a trip (Bang-Coorg and back) on a Tata machine which was brand new. Even then almost everyone suffered motion sickness.

The Volvo quality is just too good.

BTW, it came out recently that full Sleeper buses are illegal (at least in Andhra Pradesh.)
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Old 30th March 2008, 19:30   #79
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BTW, it came out recently that full Sleeper buses are illegal (at least in Andhra Pradesh.)
With their two tier architecture and steel rods and tubes around i don't feel safe in it at all. One would need a crash helmet to protect the head from those steel pipes and also getting out in the event of a mishap will be difficult.
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Old 31st March 2008, 09:32   #80
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There is a huge difference in the smoothness of the Volvo and the new generation Tata buses with similar bodies.
I agree completely... But Tata does not cost even one third. Its like comparing a swift with a Laura...
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Old 31st March 2008, 17:10   #81
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I agree completely... But Tata does not cost even one third. Its like comparing a swift with a Laura...
You are wrong here. I believe the Globus costs around 35-40Lakh (correct me if im wrong)
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Old 31st March 2008, 17:39   #82
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One Sales guy told me 70 lakhs for intercity and that citybus costs 80lakhs!

Prices of commercial vehicles are always bit difficult to get..
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Old 31st March 2008, 17:41   #83
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Thats for the Volvo... Sorry my post was not complete.

The globus goes apparently at around 22/25 lakhs. It would be nice if somebody verifies this...
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Old 31st March 2008, 18:01   #84
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B7R shuts down

Last week had an interesting experience while traveling from Mysore to Kundapur in the Volvo. By the time bus was close to Madikeri at around 1.30 AM it just stopped and the engine cut off.

Went to the driver to find out what's wrong and guess what ?
The display was showing 2 errors. One of the 'id mismatch between ECU and chassis' and other of 'low pressure in common rail' The ECU had simply shut down the bus.

The low pressure error was understandable due to some problem but the ECU mismatch was something hard to decipher. Surprisingly this error has popped up in a bus that has been running for quite sometime !

Anyway the driver continue to try to get the bus to run. So he would start the bus and take it upto 800 rpm and the bus would just switch off. Then after a while some other Volvo drivers of the KSRTC fleet stopped to enquire and they also narrated similar experiences. From what they say the 2nd batch of the fleet of B7Rs of KSRTC with ECUs have these numerous software problems.

Laudable thing in the whole incident was that KSRTC was able to arrange for an alternate Volvo bus within a matter of 1.5 hours !!

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

cheers
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Last edited by Bullfrog : 31st March 2008 at 18:03. Reason: spelling mistake
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Old 4th June 2008, 12:39   #85
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For all the comfort and sophistication that the Volvo's brought to Indian road travel, I am not all for these Volvo's. I prefer the seating in the 2+1 seating arrangement busses, where there is much more space. The Volvo's I have seen are either 2+2, or sleeper coaches.
I agree. While the 2+2 Volvos are OK for daytime travel, I find them extremely uncomfortable for a night journey. The seats are narrow and you get too cosy for comfort with the person sitting next to you.

I travelled once in a KSRTC Volvo in the conductor's seat - next to the driver, on the LHS. Nothing to beat that view!
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Old 4th June 2008, 12:49   #86
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I agree. While the 2+2 Volvos are OK for daytime travel, I find them extremely uncomfortable for a night journey. The seats are narrow and you get too cosy for comfort with the person sitting next to you.
Very true. They are just about good for the 5 hour journey. The seats are made for city travel, certainly not for long distance.
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Old 4th June 2008, 13:17   #87
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Even I am a big fan of the Volvo buses. Did quite a few trips while in South. Hyd-Mum was the best trip apart from the regular Chennai-Blore and Chennai-Vizag routes. Its so funny, that the erstwhile "Airbus" and other luxury liners are now treated as the "General" compartments of the Railways.

Recently did the Delhi-Katra trip on the Volvo. The bus was pathetic and the trip was totally painful, since the operators had no freaking idea how to run the bus!!

But I'd say the Volvos have revolutionized bus travel in India.
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Old 4th June 2008, 14:10   #88
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Pune - Nagpur on Khurana Volvo

I have recently done a trip from Pune to Nagpur on Khurana travels around 1st May. No train reservations meant I start hunting for Volvo from Pune. Interestingly, they said a couple of days prior to the journey that the all the 4 buses they have, are full. But when I called next evening, guess what, it is available and I got a front row ticket (D - 2nd row).

I spoke to a fellow passenger who said that it is the way they operate and he got his ticket 15 minutes prior to departure.

Anyway, we started at 6 from Pune instead of 5 as scheduled & reached Nagpur via Amravati next morning 9.30 AM. Some said that it was slow that day and should have reached at 8. There is another Volvo from Khurana which leaves at 6 or 7 and goes via Wardha. It usually reaches there by 7. So 15 v/s 13 hrs, definitely a lot of scope.

Fares differ from 1100 during season and 800 when seats are empty. I paid the least.
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Old 4th June 2008, 14:11   #89
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Can anyone describe his long journey experience on Kinglong buses? I have seen few plying between Mumbai & Pune by Metro travels, but haven't seen them on long hauls.
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Old 4th June 2008, 14:39   #90
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I travel freequently on Blor - Goa route. The roads are pathetic in some places, however i feel the volvos are much more comfortable & safer than other buses available in India. Also the speed at which they run on; an average i have experianced 120 Kmph !

I prefer KSRTC over Paulo, as Paulo volvos are uncomfortable; They are stuffed with Sleeper on top and seating right below them and the AC tends to switch off after an hour. I belive KSRTC buses are well maintained and i can bank on .
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