Team-BHP - Think Volvo Buses, think safety? Think again!

Quote:

Originally Posted by iraghava (Post 372878)

And owned by Ford.

I think you're confusing the Volvo with some other car. In recent history there has not been any problems with the safety aspect of any of Volvo's cars. Infact for more than 3 decades now they've been known for their insistence on the safety factor of their cars. Actually IIRC they are the company which invented the Crash test Dummy.

I have lived in Sweden for few years. The S80 I am talking about is a flagship model from Volvo along with S70, V70 etc. I am talking about the mid 90's when there were supposedly rollovers with S80. It was considered as an unsafe cars by the Swedes. Of course the safety of volvo has come leaps and bounds since than. V70 used to be my dream car at one time (Fiat Adventure somewhat reminds me of that).

Quote:

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad (Post 372976)

What is Hill start aid actually,is it the same thing as Hill descent control?

No they are different. Hill Start Aid or HSA refers to a system where the computer automatically holds onto the brakes of a vehicle when you've stopped on an incline while climbing it so that you won't slide back down the hill. This way you don't slide back & hit the vehicle behind of you. Usually happens when we take our foot off the brake pedal to accelarate & go up the hill where a mis-timing can at times result in the vehicle sliding backwards.

Hill Descent Control refers to a system where the ECU controls the speed of a vehicle automatically while it's coming DOWN a hill. This way you can steer without being worried to also slow your approach down (very useful when offroading on muddy tracks) and avoid scraping the front underside of the car.

Hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aseem (Post 373006)

Here is what the Volvo range is like currently:

S40
V50
S60
V70
S80

Now AFAIK there have been no problems with either of these cars for the past decades or so regarding the safety but I might be wrong on this.

Source : Volvo bus owners to get Rs 1.8 lakh over operational issues-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

“Customer is king” and Swedish company Volvo has been quick to recognise this after agreeing to pay its aggrieved bus operators Rs 1.8 lakh per vehicle as compensation. Private bus operators based in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa had demanded a compensation of Rs 3 lakh per vehicle on over 200 Volvo buses stating operational issues.

Volvo had been in discussions with the bus operators for a few months now and both parties arrived at a compromise at a meeting held in Mumbai on February 16. The meeting was attended by Jan Vandooren, vice-president and head of Volvo buses South Asia. According to the association of bus operators, Volvo has extended its cooperation by agreeing to add new service centres, slashing prices of spare parts and taking care of leakage-related repairs at no extra cost.

Volvo will pay the bus owners Rs 1.8 lakh per vehicle in the form of three credit vouchers of Rs 60,000 each, redeemable against repairs, purchase of spares or new vehicles. Bus operators were unhappy with the under penetration of Volvo service centres — there is only one centre, located in Bhiwandi, for the entire Mumbai region. Volvo currently runs 20 service centres across the country, five operated by the company and others privately owned. The company has committed to increasing its presence across centres and will open its second centre in Mumbai next month.

In addition, a joint team comprising Volvo officials and bus owners will assess the damage to vehicles owing to failure of the outer rigger in the B7R Mark II buses, which will then be repaired and restored to its original state by the company. Prices of spares having a low lifecycle will also be slashed based on a list comprising ‘25 fast consuming’ spare parts provided by bus owners. High prices of spare parts was one of the major concerns raised by Volvo bus operators.

Volvo refused to comment on the exact details of the negotiations, “Our discussions and actions with the customers are constructive and progressing well. However, as per policy, we cannot comment or share details on the operational issues as of now,” said a company spokesperson. When contacted by ET earlier this month, Volvo officials maintained that the issues have arisen from the poor road conditions in the region, which in turn have led to various maintenance and service requirements. But the company had promised to look into the concerns of its customers.

Quote:

Hill Start Aid or HSA refers to a system where the computer automatically holds onto the brakes of a vehicle when you've stopped on an incline while climbing it so that you won't slide back down the hill.

Thanks ishan.HSA should be made compulsory on all cars too,saves you so much trouble while driving on those inclines especially on frequent start-stop like conditions,plus no need of half-clutch meaning no burnt clutch-plates.

Quote:

Volvo officials and bus owners will assess the damage to vehicles owing to failure of the outer rigger in the B7R Mark II buses

Now what's that?

I have travelled by ksrtc quite a few times ,especially on the bangalore-pune route and can say the KSRTC buses are much better than the other private service providers.Just have a look at the amount of care KSRTC takes to ensure the smooth running of the fleet.
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When it comes to pre-departure checks of its fleet, KSRTC can match any leading airline. Every premium bus (Airavata, Mayura and Meghadoota) is subjected to intense checking before it rolls out of the depot. Three hours before the "take-off," M.M. Somashekhar, a KSRTC driver, starts his routine checks on his Airavata (Volvo) bus at Depot IV near the Kempegowda Bus Station (KBS) in the city.
Once convinced that all is in order, he pulls out of the depot and heads for the bus station. With 24 years of experience behind him, Mr. Somashekhar was picked to steer the Airavata six months ago on the Bangalore-Chikmaglur route. He underwent a week's training at the Volvo facility near Hoskote.

Many may have enjoyed the comforts on Airavata, Mayura and Meghadoota buses. But very few are aware of the efforts put in by the employees to make it a comfortable ride, especially on long-distance routes. "We choose experienced drivers with an accident-free record to drive the Airavata," says Senior Depot Manager B.S. Nagaraja Murthy. Apart from the training, each week two drivers and one conductor undergo refresher courses on passenger hospitality.

Volvo Corporation had been given the annual maintenance contract for Airavata buses to provide round-the-clock service.The company had trained six KSRTC mechanics. During breakdown, Volvo engineers try to fix the error and if not possible, KSRTC would provide an alternative vehicle. While drivers are paid Rs. 100 as incentive per trip, conductors get Rs. 75 on Airavata. On long-distance routes, Airavata buses have two drivers.In normal buses repairs en-route were done by personnel at the nearest depots, (however) the Airavata crew were authorised to fix minor repairs by spot purchases to ensure a smooth ride

Source:
The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : New age bus journey

Quote:

Originally Posted by rohithdr (Post 390392)

even i agree with Rahul KSRTC buses have the best maintained Volvo fleet compared to others.

Traveled Mumbai to Pune, this morning, in a private blue Volvo B7R. The graphics said, "MetroLink" but also "Ritika". Registration pointed to Parbhani, Marathwada: MH 22 F 4444.

Got an aisle seat in the centre of the wheelbase. Yet, very high NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness). Could neither sleep nor read. The bus pitched and jarred on the mirror smooth expressway. Wonder how? Whither air-suspension?

Left side luggage compartment door was busted in an accident.
Rear engine bay door flapping loose at 15-degree angle.

And just look at the state of the cockpit !

Ram

Quote:

Originally Posted by akroy (Post 395408)

Are you sure? In that case, it is a risky ploy for passengers as well as people / cars on road....Maan, that Volvo cockpit looked like a junk....

South Indian Volvos are very well maintained specially the KPNs and KSRTC Airavaths...

Abhi

agree: The KSRTC Airavat, APSRTC Garuda and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation's (MSRTC) Shivneri Volvos, as also the MSRTC Kinglong Mahabuses are properly cleaned and very well maintained.

In fact, I've seen Shivneri and Mahabus to provide newspapers and magazines onboard.

The Raj National Travels coaches, be they Volvo B7R, Tata Globus or Ashok Leyland, are also very well maintained.
They actually have a web-based tool to choose your seat and buy your ticket. Every one of their ticket sales outlets is web-enabled! What's better their Mumbai-Pune fare is fixed at Rs. 170.
Check out Raj Express Travels

On the other hand, Neeta Volvo's shanty-shack agents charge anything from Rs. 175 to Rs. 250 for a trip between Mumbai and Pune. This varies with weekend demand, their whims and fancies and the desperate need of the traveller (last night bus, rains, etc.). Neeta's battle-scarred Volvos are aging and ill-maintained. They sometimes hold up the bus 20-30 minutes at whistle-stops for one or two more probable seats.

Refinement in quality of service, certainly comes from the culture and education of the owners, operators, agents, drivers, etc. It's a no brainer, that India has a higher education density (ratio of educated people to illiterates) in South India
than in North India, with Kerala being the most educated and Bihar being the least educated.

Ram