Team-BHP - Intercity Buses operated by various private travels and STUs

@julupani

I know. It is pretty universal. I meant internal deactivation which could be triggered only by the braking (at least in an emergency) as you said.

But seriously this kind of driving defeats the whole safety aspect of a bus like Volvo. Not only that, all the delay will happen while he is shifting the legs. During those crucial seconds the bus will be still accelerating merrily and the braking process is yet to initiate! In fact, if an emergency occurs, it will most often accompanied by a steering maneuver. Then it will be very difficult to simultaneously change the leg position for an average person who is perched on a seat like that.

India simply has a long way to go to reach western driving conditions. Just releasing good buses does not solve the problem. In fact, as this guy demonstrates, perhaps it makes it worse.

I still somehow wish that I might be wrong with the cruise control operation on Volvo buses (for the sake of my confidence).

Quote:

Originally Posted by julupani (Post 2439004)

What this driver is doing is extremely dangerous in my opinion, unless he brakes with his left foot like a racing driver. The overall distance taken for an emergency braking maneuver will be considerably increased in the above position.

@Trapezio

You dont have to actually deactivate cruise control to slow down, just apply the brakes. Once you let the brakes go, the vehicle will re-accelerate back to the set speed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinjosep (Post 2439068)

Partially correct i guess. Generally with use of any one of ABC, the cruise control is disabled. You will have to engage it again, it wont snap back on automatically.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trapezio (Post 2439072)

@julupani

I know. It is pretty universal. I meant internal deactivation which could be triggered only by the braking (at least in an emergency) as you said.

But seriously this kind of driving defeats the whole safety aspect of a bus like Volvo. Not only that, all the delay will happen while he is shifting the legs. During those crucial seconds the bus will be still accelerating merrily and the braking process is yet to initiate!

India simply has a long way to go to reach western driving conditions. Just releasing good buses does not solve the problem. In fact, as this guy demonstrates, perhaps it makes it worse.

I still somehow wish that I might be wrong with the cruise control operation on Volvo buses.

Yes, if you touch the brakes, then the CC gets deactivated unless you put it back on. But if the bus encounters a gradient, and the speed reduces, it automatically accelerates back to the set speed.

Agreed. This is indeed dangerous. If I am not wrong, I think new drivers are not trained by Volvo as they used to be earlier. Now, one guy told me that they just have a 15 minute familiarization to do, and then they are good to drive.

Aalok

Quote:

Originally Posted by aalokg (Post 2438843)

This is how you enjoy cruise control on the Bombay-Pune freeway in a lovely Volvo 9400 operated by the Shivneri service of MSRTC. clap:

Attachment 580584

This picture was taken day before yesterday on the SWR-THNVND route, and the bus was MH 04 G 7509, probably owned by SS Travels in Borivali, Bombay.

He was one of the very rare drivers whom I have seen engage the cruise control. In my last three years of extensive travel on the Shivneris, I have found only two more drivers use the feature. They were both on the BVI-SWR service.
Aalok

lol! Nothing can beat this! Dont give them technology, they crash. Give them technology, they innovate new ways to crash! This should go in "Bad drivers, how do you spot them" thread! What was he even thinking? Probably he thought Cruise control to be Autopilot? Soon we will see some drivers leaving their seat and taking a stroll inside the bus. Even with autopilot on, its mandatory for atleast one of the pilot to monitor the system constantly. This guy is just enjoying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 2440148)

The Kallada accident which happened a month or so back near Dharmapuri was because the bus was on cruise control. Considering the uniqueness of Indian highways irrespective of them being 2 laned / 4 laned in my opinion Cruise control should be banned.

cruise control is good provided the person using it knows how to use it properly. I have seen KaSRTC drivers(multiaxle and single axle mk.3) drivers use it very extensively. They seem to know their job pretty well. They pull the CC and still keep their right foot near the brake pedals, just in case, and when they see any vehicle ahead, simply disengage the cruise. The CC has both + and - options too, so its upto the man behind the wheels to know how to use it. A proper driver training will only help them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo (Post 2440372)

+1 AlphaKilo.

CC should definitely be used, its better for the driver and also for the passengers because they can enjoy a smoother ride. But no doubt that the right foot must be near the brake!

In my opinion, KaSRTC is a very neat operator. Their buses are always well maintained and their drivers and conductors are always in a proper uniform. And till date, I have not seem them driving rash.

Apart from this, I have hardly read anything bad about them on Tbhp. If I am not wrong, someone here wrote about how their conductors call pax before time and ask if they are willing to change their boarding point, along with detailed instructions on how to get there, so that they could avoid traffic. :thumbs up

Aalok

Quote:

Originally Posted by aalokg (Post 2440472)

Apart from this, I have hardly read anything bad about them on Tbhp. If I am not wrong, someone here wrote about how their conductors call pax before time and ask if they are willing to change their boarding point, along with detailed instructions on how to get there, so that they could avoid traffic.

That was of KeSRTC, not KaSRTC. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation conductors call up their passengers and get their latest status.

KaSRTC, i.e., Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation conductors would instead keep waiting cluelessly till the passengers actually arrive! Its quite normal that KaSRTC buses depart well behind schedule - because passengers turn up late.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaiks (Post 2440516)

Thanks for the clarification Binai.

Talking of this same issue, the Shivneris do not wait for more than 5 minutes if the passenger with a reservation does not turn up. But usually, the driver/conductor is not ready by the STD of the bus. But if they are, then they hardly wait for more than 5 mins.

Now, buses on the Thane-Swargate and Pune-Dadar route do not have a conductor, and invariably the buses run late by about 10 minutes on an average. That is because of the stupidity done by the conductor stationed at the depot. Let me explain:

This happens at Swargate: There is a ticket window, and you queue there and get yourself a ticket. If say the bus is scheduled to depart at 1300hrs, they will close the window at 1255hrs and the conductor will board the bus to hand over the paper work to the driver. In the mean time, some new passengers board the bus, while people are still in the queue waiting for the turn in the next bus. And now, the conductor who is in the bus issues tickets to the people who have just got on the bus. :eek:

Whats the point of the ticket window then ? Poor chaps are still waiting for their ticket on the next bus, and the conductor is merrily issuing tickets to the pax who have just got to the bus stand ? This goes on till the bus becomes fairly full, and a good 10-15 minutes are lost. But this happens ONLY on the Thane-Swargate route. This same system of 'current booking' through the ticket window also exists at the ST stand at Pune Station, and its very very well managed there. Never will the conductor issue a ticket in the bus, you have to go through the queue.

So guys, if you are at Swargate, travelling on the Thane route, get to the ticket window, and if you dont see a conductor there, then run to the bus and get yourself a ticket. :D

Swargate-Borivali still has a conductor, and if the bus is in the depot by the STD, then they leave right on time. But they often get caught in the traffic on the WEH in Bombay and end up running late.

Aalok

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaiks (Post 2440516)

I beg to differ, because, I myself have got calls from KaSRTC drivers/conductors asking me to board at different place and have seen them call the passengers if they dont turn up after 30mins of departure time, dept. time + 30mins is minimum start time for all the buses in our country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo (Post 2440609)

I've never seen this happen - in fact have experience of waiting endlessly for one single soul to turn up late. May be this is a recent addition - the last time I took KaSRTC was a good year ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo (Post 2440609)

dept. time + 30mins is minimum start time for all the buses in our country.

I beg to disagree here. KeSRTC manages to leave on time most of the time - the maximum they delay for a passenger is not more than 10-15 mins. They'd politely ask the passenger to join somewhere en route.