[greatmana2000]

Has anyone travelled by the APSRTC garuda services ? LOL . You will then know what pedal to metal is all about .

[Mr_Bean]

Originally Posted by Jimmyjosek

Extreme overtakes.

If you are a lover of high speed bus action, you have to come to Kerala. I dont think any other state in India has drivers flying their buses

Here you can see Gopika, a Trissur-Kannur Limited Stop bus squeezing in between two Ambys. Mind you, the bus is doing 80 kmph plus. The bus passes through the small gap between the cars. So close, but never touches

During my summer vacation I used to travel to my hometown, as a kid(10 years old) once travelling from Ernakulam-Kodungallur, I sat in the front facing the glass (i mean literally close to the windshield separated by a metal pipe), I got scared & almost pissed in my paint looking at the way the bus was driven.

I felt these guys (Limited stop bus drivers) knew the limit of their vehicles & push all the way to the limit. My hometown is on the outskirts of the city & I sometime feel these buses do close to 100km/hr on empty stretch..

[pypkmsrikanth]

Am quite suprised no one is talking of the private buses which ply between mangalore and udupi. In my opinion they are the most rashly driven private buses in south. They are as worse as the Kerala private buses if not more.

[Deep Blue]

I have travelled both in Mangalore-Udupi and north Kerala buses. Kerala drivers are worse, besides the terrain in Kerala is full of sudden turns, ups and downs. KaSRTC has done well to introduce Volvo services between Mangalore-Udupi despite the private bus lobby which have turned out to be a great success

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by binaiks

C'mon! This is half as rash as the earlier Private. In majority of my experiences, KeSRTC have been fast, but rarely rash.

Well, one has a totally different view about KeSRTC buses when being a regular along the MC Road route. Wisdom i have earned is to ALWAYS move out of the way when you see a KeSRTC bus hurtling towards you.. whether towards you from the front, or from the rear. And no, they care two hoots about any vehicle which we say belongs to the 'dadagiri' variety... they just shoo them away.

I found so many rashly-driven government/private buses in as many states spreading across the length and breadth of India - another case of unity in diversity! Even some so-called reputed private buses like KPN are rashly driven.

A former Congress MP from Tamil Nadu and another person were killed on the spot and ten others were severely injured near Ambur on NH 46, when the private Volvo bus they were travelling in met with an accident due to the negligence of the bus driver, as per this report in today's The New Indian Express.

[Torqy]

I can't believe people are justifying rashly driven buses.
No wonder we mallus are the most rash drivers.
Yes, one should come to Kerala to see how we drive. We like to live on the edge....occassionally sniffing out families. But what the heck, we love speed...like one gentleman mentioned.

:(

Now i also know that private buses in Cochin are RED for a reason.

-- Torqy

[sen2009]

Originally Posted by Torqy

Now i also know that private buses in Cochin are RED for a reason.

-- Torqy

IMHO the Buses in Cochin and in Bengal are Red for Another reason.
And if things go as per some people's plans, the whole India will have RED Buses by 2050.

Sorry for the

Taking the focus out of Kerala, I have seen such a scenario in Calcutta in late 90's.

There is a route "SD4" (local city bus - privately operated) - the total length is about 15KM, about 40-45 minutes travelling time.

Now, the route got introduced with 45 buses and the permit restriction ensured that they can start a bus every 2 minutes from either of the terminus. The enterprising owners and syndicate lifted the timing on the route. Hence a Bus reaching one terminus will queue up behind those already parked and will leave for return journey after all ahead of it have left as per the 2 min gap. Due to the more than needed number of buses on that route, the wait was always long.
That means, one who covers the length faster makes more trips. I have personally traveled in this route where the bus overtook 9 ahead of it.

I still remember, that the route took 5 lives in first month and about 3 per month then onwards till a whole year.
As all of you know, associations & protests are not unknown to us. But the carnage continued for the whole year after which the syndicate introduced route timing (means driver/ conductor in fined if they reach early or late). The fine was that the particular bus had to skip two trips for every violation.
The deaths stopped altogether for the next two years that I kept track of.

There were other routes which operated on this philosophy (3D/1 and 3C/1 as prime examples). But somehow this route never matched up to SD4 in bloodshed.


However, all the aforementioned routes were much higher in commuters' preference despite the alarmingly high number of accidents. One would consider it weired - but then when you think in the light of 45 minutes travelling time for 15 Kilometers, you'll see the point in a whole different shade.
Who would complaint if he/she can save up to 70% of commuting time and also may not get killed?!

[A350XWB]

At my native in Kerala, we have a strong compound wall for a reason. My house is next to the Punalur-Muvattupuzha SH. When I was still a student, we regularly had vehicles sitting on the wall and 90% were private buses. On one occasion, one bus even managed to break the barrier and enter the compound. We used to rebuild each section of the wall every two to three months, money provided by private bus operators
When I went to Kozhikkode for the first time, I suddenly felt that the bus drivers at my location were decent and driving really slow. I decided not to take a private bus in that area, ever. One journey was enough.

[arishi1]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

When I went to Kozhikkode for the first time, I suddenly felt that the bus drivers at my location were decent and driving really slow. I decided not to take a private bus in that area, ever. One journey was enough.

+1 to that after my 4 years stay at REC Calicut (Kozhikkode); I can very confidently say the most rash bus drivers in the world are driving these private buses.

[kadri007]

I think in Karnataka You must travel in the coastal districts to know what rash and reckless driving it is.

The dangerous route is between Mangalore and Udupi where every minute one express bus leaves.

They drive in 90KMS to 110KMS speed in day time in the crowded NH 17. I have experienced it and anyone who have visited Coastal Karnataka would have experienced it.

I think the government is equally responsible for the mess created by private buses. They also just keep blaming private bus operators but everything is in their hands. Why they should give such permits of same route one behind other and create competition.

First the governments give permits at a gap of every one minute, so at the end of the day if the driver and conductor dont pick up passengers the private owners are at loss and the drivers and conductors have a fear of loosing job. Hence the excess pressure created makes them to break all rules.

I am sure they would not like to risk life this, but in coastal districts of Karnataka they do not have other job openings for less educated people, hence they also get into this field and become a part of this system.

They also see these accidents happening in this stretch but still for a living they risk the life.

[Latheesh]

Mangalore-Udupi route private bus drivers are much better.

I agree with most of the people, private buses in north Kerala (especially Trissur-Palakkad-Kozhikode-Kannur route) are the most dangerous. You should see it to believe!!!

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by kadri007

I think in Karnataka You must travel in the coastal districts to know what rash and reckless driving it is.

The dangerous route is between Mangalore and Udupi where every minute one express bus leaves.

Definitely agree with you , have experienced it 1st hand during my new years trip to Coastal Karnataka. Some of those drivers are maniac's and I still remember at one point during my drive on one of the bridges near Udupi I was surrounded by 3 buses.

One in the front , one right next to me and one behind the scorp' with their horns blaring. I literally had to pull over to the side and give them way.

The surprising part is that on a double carriageway they manage to overtake a truck and still have space to let the bus coming from the opposite side pass.
I was at the end of my wits during the trip with the private buses in-spite of doing so many trips to Kundapur/Udupi/Mangalore.

Originally Posted by Latheesh

I agree with most of the people, private buses in north Kerala (especially Trissur-Palakkad-Kozhikode-Kannur route) are the most dangerous. You should see it to believe!!!

I have seen them and personally think that the Kerala private bus drivers are much better off. They generally don't bully other vehicles as much as the drivers in Coastal Karnataka.

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

I was at the end of my wits during the trip with the private buses in-spite of doing so many trips to Kundapur/Udupi/Mangalore.



I have seen them and personally think that the Kerala private bus drivers are much better off. They generally don't bully other vehicles as much as the drivers in Coastal Karnataka.

These buses run at 2 minute intervals of each other.And they wait at the next stop till the one behind it arrives.

But then these bus drivers try and catch each other in between stops !!!!!! and thats when we see these accidents.

The Mangalore-udipi stretch is one fast stretch where buses do it in less than a hour including all the stops...

The scene inside these buses is worth noticing ...the scared look on everyones faces.

I somehow enjoy the driving of these drivers ...they drive with millimeter precision ...if you want driving lessons ...this is the route to be on ...if you want to nab someone for overspeeding and bad traffic discipline...this is the route to be on

If you can survive on this route for one month ...i think you will survive anywhere as you would have perfected the art of defensive driving ..

lastly ...there is only one rule on this road....if you see a oncoming bus with headlights on...give way ...or stop wherever you are ...the bus driver will do the rest ...and you are safe...try switching on your headlights as well ...and then only God can save you

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by greatmana2000

Has anyone travelled by the APSRTC garuda services ? LOL . You will then know what pedal to metal is all about .

see this Travelling by Volvo B7R bus in India: EXCLUSIVE: Two Volvo B7R buses caught racing at 125km/h!

Two 9400 B7R's full of passengers racing each other at speeds in excess of 120 kph on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway!!