[teamveevee]

Happened to see KaRTC multiaxle buses with "Club Class" stickers in Kottayam couple of days. Did they covert Bangalore-Kottayam to multiaxle?

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by teamveevee

Happened to see KaRTC multiaxle buses with "Club Class" stickers in Kottayam couple of days. Did they covert Bangalore-Kottayam to multiaxle?

Yes. KaSRTC now operates Multi-Axles (Airavat Club Class) on these routes:

Bangalore-Trivandrum (1x Volvo)
Bangalore-Ernakulam (1x Volvo 2x Merc)
Bangalore-Kottayam (1x Volvo)
Bangalore-Thrissur (1x Volvo)
Mangalore-Ernakulam (1x Volvo).

Bangalore-Kozhikode was a Multi-axle for about a month - but the service was downgraded back to Airavat. KaSRTC is betting big on their routes to Kerala (thanks to the absence of any kind of AC service from KeSRTC now).

[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Yes. KaSRTC now operates Multi-Axles (Airavat Club Class) on these routes:

Bangalore-Kottayam (1x Volvo)

Thanks Binai. Good news for the IT folks from Kottayam.

[TKMCE]

Kingfisher was criticized by all and sundry when they announced they are phasing out the low cost KF Red product and concentrating on the full service market. The main "reasoning" put forward by these pundits was that air travellers are "price sensitive". Now looking at the patronage the "club class" services which AFAIK charge around a 25% premium on Airavath which itself is a premium service, makes it easy to understand the logic of Kingfisher. There is always a segment which is glad to pay a premium for quality service whether it air or bus. Trains is a long way off as unlike in UK, we are going to have a monopoly for Indian Railways for the foreseeable future.

I saw a Kesineni Volvo at Alwaye around yesterday on the way towards Ernakulam. It was 12.15 . Was curious to get an idea how much delay they will be having on such long haul service. Website lists approx journey time as 19.15 hours, so they had a delay of only around 2 hours and 21 hours end to end which is not bad at all. (the 191.5 hours estimated time is to Alwaye - not EKM)

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

I saw a Kesineni Volvo at Alwaye around yesterday on the way towards Ernakulam. It was 12.15 . Was curious to get an idea how much delay they will be having on such long haul service. Website lists approx journey time as 19.15 hours, so they had a delay of only around 2 hours and 21 hours end to end which is not bad at all. (the 191.5 hours estimated time is to Alwaye - not EKM)

Kesineni usually arrives EKM by 11AM. This looks like there was a traffic block at Walayar (or elsewhere). Kallada's Hyderabad bus comes only around 1200hrs, and it returns at 1245hrs. The bus is just cleared of the garbage (empty bottles, papers) and goes back with the same crew. All the washing and resting happens at Hyderabad!

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

I saw a Kesineni Volvo at Alwaye around yesterday on the way towards Ernakulam. It was 12.15 . Was curious to get an idea how much delay they will be having on such long haul service. Website lists approx journey time as 19.15 hours, so they had a delay of only around 2 hours and 21 hours end to end which is not bad at all. (the 191.5 hours estimated time is to Alwaye - not EKM)

My friend traveled on Kesineni from Hyd to Ernakulam on last Sunday. He started at 4pm and reached Coimbatore at 8am, proceeded after unloading lot of luggage and finally reached Ernakulam at 12.30pm. The scheduled arrival time was 9.30 as per the driver.

[conjon]

Originally Posted by smashnerd

Well, I saw the Peters new A/C bus running the evening schedule to Kannur from Kottayam. The front didn't look like a Kondody or like any Karur bus. Shillibear maybe?

I saw the bus yesterday at shastri road, kottayam. this one was painted white and green. the bus looked exactly like kondody's tour bus KYROS (contract carriage), except for the colour.KYROS was build by kondody autocraft, kottayam.

Attaching a pic of KYROS. Photo take by Jimmy Jose K.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by conjon

I saw the bus yesterday at shastri road, kottayam. this one was painted white and green. the bus looked exactly like kondody's tour bus KYROS (contract carriage), except for the colour.KYROS was build by kondody autocraft, kottayam.

A pic of the Peter's AC bus: (Photo from Facebook, thanks to Siby Mathew)

[dhandapanik]

A private bus running in Coimbatore-Dharapuram route.

Some of the special features in this bus includes.

1. Air Suspension
2. Driver Mobile Phone diffused
3. Air cooled exhaust
4. Spacious seats --> Not sure how they achieve this in a 3X2 arrangement.
5. Luggage rack
6. Engine Noise Restricted
7. Mobile Charger
8. Auto Slide Sensor Doors --> Not sure what it is.
9. LCD Slim Video --> LCDs became common in almost all private buses in TN.

Posted the above list because the features list image which i have taken is blurred.

[conjon]

Thats the one! i wasnt able to take a photo as i was driving.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

A private bus running in Coimbatore-Dharapuram route.

Plz try posting more detailed pics.
we shall see what is really so spl out there.
spacious seats can be made with higher seat pitch.

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Plz try posting more detailed pics.
we shall see what is really so spl out there.
spacious seats can be made with higher seat pitch.

I'll try to get it whenever i visit CBE next time. I think they had LED digital board also in place. I didn't find it running when i spotted this in Gandhipuram Bus stand.

[smashnerd]

Originally Posted by binaiks

A pic of the Peter's AC bus: (Photo from Facebook, thanks to Siby Mathew)

Do these long haul buses get good patronage from Kottayam itself? The Peters bus was empty the last time I saw it.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by binaiks

A pic of the Peter's AC bus: (Photo from Facebook, thanks to Siby Mathew)

SO how many AC buses are operating in Mofussil route in Kerela.
I remember told by Parasuram Travels driver its about five including their own 2 services.
And apart from their buses all are slave engine driven.
can you correct these facts?

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

SO how many AC buses are operating in Mofussil route in Kerela.
I remember told by Parasuram Travels driver its about five including their own 2 services.
And apart from their buses all are slave engine driven.
can you correct these facts?

As of today, following are the services:

1. Parasuram (North Paravur - Sulthan Bathery)
2. Jayanthi Janatha (Kozhikode - Sulthan Bathery. This is the old Parasuram bus)
3. Prasad (Kannur - Ernakulam)
4. Malabar Bhai (Kozhikode-Vazhikkadavu)
5. Fathima 'Iceberg' (Palakkad - Kozhikode)
6. Peter's (Kottayam - Panjikkal)

The first three have an engine-driven AC to the best of my knowledge. Not sure of the last three. Of all these, only the Parasuram has the 225hp CRS engine.