[tatsago]

Originally Posted by download2live

My friends from Kerala tell me that the bus lobby has kept the Indian Railways from improving the connectivity between Bangalore and Major Kerala stations.

When I search for the number of trains it is indeed on lower side.

It may be true, but keep in mind that IR has it's own limitations as well both technical and financial. Also we could write a whole book on how the decisions in the rail ministry are made, etc. etc. but that would be really out of scope of this discussion.

I agree rail is the most conveninient and affordable means of travel in this country, sometimes even more than air travel for shorter distances. This is corroborated by the fact that rail tickets get sold out as soon as the booking opens.

In reality the bus lobby does not have do anything. The railways are the ones who have to get their act together.

[Arkesh]

Hi
Rail is definitely more comfortable and safe means of transport compared to buses(also considering volvos et al). People dont feel motion sickness in a train, its quite rare. But then there are many areas that do not have rail connectivity and buses come into play. But what i have observed here in orissa is if a place has no rail connectivity, the buses on that route are neither comfortable nor well maintained (may be due to monopoly of buses). Can people believe that there are still no intercity Volvos or Merc in orissa?

[Ashley2]

Is this scenario in the same way or light at the end of tunnel?
As 9400 PX is already not prefered by operators like Sharma / Neeta (who had first set of Merc and Volvo - both single axle and Multi axle.,) for the higher cost Vs additional seats.

[TheARUN]

I think the next big thing is going to be the Double Decker, once that comes it will take Bus travel to another level, it may cost 5 crores, but will hold the ultimate bragging rights. We already have the infrastructure and the technology, only thing waiting is for some big-shot to sign on the dotted line

[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

I think the next big thing is going to be the Double Decker, once that comes it will take Bus travel to another level, it may cost 5 crores, but will hold the ultimate bragging rights. We already have the infrastructure and the technology, only thing waiting is for some big-shot to sign on the dotted line

Yes, Lowfloor double decker buses are becoming more and more popular in US etc. A photo from LA i posted earlier. Let us see who will introduce this first in India, AL/TM/Volvo//Merc. With these buses, lower level can be used for seating and upper lever for sleeper births.

[DWind]

Was'nt Bluelines (from Bangalore) already operating an imported Mercedes (not sure!) double decker bus between Bangalore and Mumbai? I remember that it was originally supposed to be run between Bangalore and chennai which was not allowed by TN RTO because of being double decker.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

We already have the infrastructure and the technology, only thing waiting is for some big-shot to sign on the dotted line

They do look super cool!! BUT, the bigger question is are our drivers ready for these behemoths? We already know how a majority of the Volvos/Mercs are driven. These buses will definitely have a higher CG and thus would be a lot less forgiving than the present buses to wild swervings and last minute lane changes.

[newinthomas73]

Originally Posted by tatsago

Buses are the only option when you have not had a chance to book a flight ticket or a train ticket in advance. I had to take the Volvo from Pune to Bangalore last week and these are some of my observations


I did a quick back of the envelope calculation on the financials and I suppose most operators could make substantial profits just from the weekend trips. The only time it does not make sense for them is during weekdays when it is not possible to fill all the seats to cover costs of diesel, which my guess would be 20 seats on a 50 seater bus.

I have seen that the first one or two seats in Volvos of most of the operators are reserved for the Drivers.

[Autokrat]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

I think the next big thing is going to be the Double Decker, once that comes it will take Bus travel to another level, it may cost 5 crores, but will hold the ultimate bragging rights. We already have the infrastructure and the technology, only thing waiting is for some big-shot to sign on the dotted line

One issue could be whether the under passes and overhead lines in all cities / towns would be able to accommodate these buses. We find very few double decker city buses operating in India

[WAM-4]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

If I have used VRL as example in many cases, it is only because I am impressed by them. I used their services for the first time nearly 15 years back on ther Pune Bangalore service (non AC - an ACGL coach) and 15 years down the line I have used them fairly frequently only to find them getting better by the minute. I dont work for them , dont know any of the owners or management nor do I get invitations for any of their route launches- if they have any. I simply respect them for their good industry practices!!!

Two more points to add to VRL's commitment to ensure safe travel for their passengers:

1. They have installed CCTV Cameras inside their buses. This will ensure that any pilferage of passenger luggage / any harassment meted out to the passenger(s) will be recorded and the culprits can be easily identified & booked by the cops once the CCTV footage is made available to them.

2. I'm not sure of this point but I heard / read somewhere that they have experimented with ACD [Anti- Collision Device] on a pilot basis on some of their buses and plan to install them in all their buses in the near future. [Request members in the know if my memory of recollection about ACD on VRL is right].

So,as a passenger, even if say, VRL charges me a couple of 100 bucks more than its competitors for a more safe, reliable and comfortable journey I won't mind shelling out from my pocket at all!