It is no secret that I enjoy travelling by public transport. Hence, it was inevitable that when KSRTC started its Budget Tourism Cell (BTC) operations, I would try them out.

BHPian TKMCE recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

When Covid stuck in early 2020, like most transport operators, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation was also badly affected. Diversification became the key.

By late 2020, the Munnar depot of the corporation hit upon the idea of arranging AC dormitory sleeper accommodation in converted buses parked at the depot. It proved to be very popular.

A KSRTC inspector Dominic Pereira of the Chalakudy depot (in Thrissur district) then hit upon a bright idea next year in 2021. The depot's regular services to the Kerala border at Malakkapara on the Chalakudy Valparai route which passes the Athirapally and Vazhachal en-route were getting good patronage from tourists on weekends in particular. So why not package all these destinations together and run a tour on the regular KSRTC buses? So thought Pereira and convinced his superiors to give the necessary approvals. The first service operated on 26 September 2021 from Chalakudy.

The idea proved to be a super hit and soon KSRTC's tourist services from many depots across the state were operating services to Malakkapara. At an all-inclusive fare (currently 350 Rs from Chalakudy), you could visit Athirapally Vazhachal, Sholayar and Malakkapara on a day trip of around 12 hours end to end. Soon after the Malappuram depot taking advantage of the availability of the sleeper dormitory accommodation in the Munnar depot started two-day trips to Munnar from their home depot which again proved popular.

The success of these trips and others ended up in the corporation setting up a Budget Tourism Cell (BTC) headed by a Chief Traffic Manager with Zonal and District coordinators to assist. The trips are organized mostly on weekends using regular KSRTC buses and BTC operations are now into the third year. Itineraries are mostly of one day duration although a few 2 day ones are also there. Not all depots have BTCs but usually one or two are there in every district. Entrance tickets and some meals are included in many of the packages.

This travelogue is about my latest (my 6th) BTC trip which was to Ramakkalmedu, a hill station in the Idukki district of Kerala. This trip was organized by the Chalakudy BTC, the depot which first started it all in 2021.

The operations of the Budget Tourism Cell (BTC) are very decentralized. There is no centralized computerized booking system. Most BTC have a WhatsApp group where by the 25th of the month the details of next month's itineraries are announced. UPI payment mode is available and encouraged by many BTCs.

20th December 2023.

In the Chalakudy BTC WhatsApp group, the depot BTC coordinator Mr Unnikrishnan posts the January trip details. There are about 25 trips in the whole month to 11 different destinations, almost all on weekends. I am looking for Ramakkalmedu which I have not travelled till now and there are 2 dates available, on January 7 Sunday and January 27 Saturday. Timings are advised as between 6 AM and 1130 PM. I make a mental note to book for the 27th January trip although it is early days yet.

09 January 2024.

I decided to wait no longer. Chalakudy BTC trips are justifiably popular and the 27th is the middle of a long weekend. I sent a WhatsApp voice message to the booking number which is that of Unnikrishnan, the unit's coordinator. He had accompanied the group in both my previous BTC trips to Vagamon and Nelliampathy and so I am a "regular ". As usual, I am travelling alone and I am enquiring about the availability of seats and in particular about a window seat.

In about an hour he reverts. If I need a window seat, the ones towards the front are all taken. But if I am looking for a seat with a view he can offer me seat no 5 which is an aisle seat immediately behind the driver and has a clear view of the front. He informs that Seats 1 to 4 are taken by a family. I decide to accept Seat 5.

He sends me another voice message about the details of the trip. The trip starts at 6 AM and traffic permitting ends at 11.30 PM. Breakfast, Lunch, evening tea and snacks as well as all entrance tickets and jeep trekking are included in the fare of Rs 1200. Dinner will be at one's own expense.

Breakfast is to be at Thodupuzha, and the first viewpoint of Thumpachi Mala will be soon after. This will be followed by the Kulamavu hydroelectric dam, followed by Lunch and a viewpoint of the Idukki dam before we reach Ramakkalmedu. There it is 3 viewpoints again but two of them are reached by an off-road journey on a jeep. Looks like this is a "viewpoint" trip, but then I like them.

He sent me the QR code to make payment to the Chalakudy depot and informed me that I pay only 700 through UPI and the remaining 500 is to be paid on the bus. I make payment accordingly and although a handwritten receipt is available I request him to merely give a confirmation message on WhatsApp with the date and seat number which he promptly does. The entire booking process takes 10 minutes. I get on with my work with the assurance that things will go smoothly from my earlier experiences with Chalakudy BTC. It did this time as well.

27 January 2024

The day of the trip. The alarm goes off at 3 AM. I am ready by 4. Chalakudy depot is 25 km away I get an Uber surprisingly quickly and reach Angamaly KSRTC depot by 4.30 AM.

Now I can join the tour at Angamaly but I always prefer to board from the starting point. Angamaly bus station is huge and not very busy at that time. A few street dogs also appear to be waiting for the buses arguing vociferously at the same time which is not a very comforting sight to the passengers. Many buses come and go but none are towards Chalakudy. Finally, a Guruvayoor Fast Passenger turns up and I reach the Chalakudy bus station, 15 kms away by 5.15 Am.

Chalakudy is a compact well well-organised bus station. It has some clean washrooms as well. The stall near the station entrance is active and already doing good business. I grab a cup of tea and go back to do some bus spotting.

Chalakudy has a Budget Tourism Cell office at one end of the bus station. At 5.30 someone switches on the light. It is the coordinator Unnikrishnan. I drop in to say Hi and ask him whether he is accompanying the group today as well. He answers in the negative.

But then our group is lucky, today it is, going to be none other than his boss the district BTC coordinator Dominic Pereira who will be accompanying us. A person who knows the inside out of BTC operations, for Dominic, customer satisfaction and attention to detail are both paramount. I had travelled earlier with him as well and was very impressed with his dedication.

I go back to waiting. Around 5.40 AM, a well-maintained KSRTC Fast Passenger bus pulls up with a destination board "Ullasayathra" (LeisureTrip). The driver and Unnikrishnan lug abroad a large Bluetooth speaker. Soon Dominic comes by recognises me and asks whether I am traveling today. I reply in the affirmative.

At 5.50 AM boarding starts. Clear directions are given by the staff about the location of the seats. Soon the family of 4 who have booked the seats next to me turn up. But the bus is half empty even at 6 AM. Clearly, we are waiting for some delayed passengers, but so many?

A few more passengers turn up in the next 15 minutes and we leave. Dominic mentions that today a lot of passengers are joining at various points en route including a big group of college students.

Passengers board at various en-route points right to Perumbavoor. The big group mostly board at Angamaly. There was a delay at Perumbavoor as the last few passengers were waiting at the wrong point. Cannot blame them as they are from Ernakulam. They eventually board and apologize for the mixup. No one minds.

Dominic picks up the portable microphone introduces himself and welcomes everyone on behalf of KSRTC. He runs through the program for the day. and invites everyone to introduce themselves.

Typical with BTC groups it is a wide spectrum of passengers today also. There is a group of girls, students of a nursing college, another group of 4 women travelling together and the rest are mostly families or couples, some retired. Only two solitary travellers today, a retired bank officer sitting in the row behind me and myself. There is also a couple who are celebrating their 24th wedding anniversary with a BTC trip.

Breakfast is at Thodupuzha and there is still half an hour to reach there. As with most BTC trips, the entertainment starts. A few passengers sing some nice songs and in no time the bus is reaching Thodupuzha and it is breakfast rine.

Breakfast is at Hotel Bharath, a popular eatery next to the KSRTC bus station where the bus parks. It is Appam and Egg Curry and Dominic is omnipresent, making sure everyone has got their breakfast including assisting the hotel staff in serving the BTC passengers. The food is good and after a half-hour halt, we are ready to proceed to our first stop, the viewpoint at Thumpachi Mala, about half an hour away.

Meanwhile a few photos.

Continue reading BHPian TKMCE's KSRTC review for more insights and information.

Defensive driving and low speed saved me from a bigger impact.

BHPian epiccross recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I hoped never to be part of this thread... and here I am  Brand new car, just been ~3 months and this

Context: Was returning from the gym, driving sedately. There are a couple of reasonably steep curves. I was completely within the lane (as you can see) and moved further towards the left once the KSRTC bus was approaching. Shockingly after the front passed, the rear just hit my side door and panel! The driver came down and although he didn't apologize, he was calm and polite enough, which is a miracle these days. He claimed that somehow since the road is narrow they have to drive over the lane a bit and there was no space.

I didn't press it enough although I was sure I was completely within my lane. I always second guess myself, so assumed maybe I didn't give enough space (I didn't have to and he's 100% at fault). Dashcam footage revealed I left acres of space for this guy and he still did this.

Defensive driving and low speed saved me from a bigger impact, thankfully. The side panel tore off completely, driver door got banged up, headlight got cracked. But didn't feel a thing in the cabin except for the metal scraping noise. No damage to the engine compartment either thankfully. Drove the car slowly to my home which was 2-3 km away and called and reported to Kia RSA. The truck reached within an hour. But the body shop is a bit too far from my place, might have to go there with signed papers.

PS: Here I guess 360 cam helped me more than dashcam, clearly shows the lane markings and how the KSRTC driver hit my car.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Although a long term SETC fan, I'd stopped using their services since 2018 when I wasn't in this part of the country.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

This is a review cum travel experience by a rather unusual type of bus, something that most bhpians wouldn't use at all - Tamil Nadu's AC sleeper-seater service operated by SETC. Even I had my own apprehensions about this travel , which were all laid to rest by the time the journey was complete. What blew me away was the upkeep of the bus, the clean interiors, the super-clean rest stop and the supremely comfortable travel.

How I ended up choosing SETC for this ride?

Trichy-Bengaluru transport services are average, with

• Only one daily train servicing the route in the nights, on which accommodation is a hit or miss
• A few KSRTC services plying - all in the night
• A few private services - predominantly in the night

I had to make it back to Bengaluru from Trichy by night and had two options:

• Take a TNSTC bus to Salem and switch to an economy AC seater service from there
• Use SETC's AC Sleeper-Seater service from Trichy to Bengaluru

The TNSTC buses' seats are pathetic, with underseat pains post even 30 minutes, and that left me with opting for SETC.

My experiences with SETC this far

I've been using the Tamil Nadu Govt.'s express transport service since 1980 - was originally called Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation (TTC) but re-christened SETC sometime in the late 90s. All these 40+ years, I have been a huge fan of this service despite some mixed feelings on many buses being rickety. What I found distinct in TTC/SETC was the quality of seats, which never disappointed despite the buses being in average shape. Another aspect that I always appreciated was the demeanour of the crew - several trips over several decades and not one incident of bad behaviour.

Related posts : here and here

Booking Experience

I targeted their 12:30pm service and although I knew that there'd be few takers, I decided to go ahead and book my ticket to choose a preferred seat. I chose a single seat in the 1+2 seating configuration, and all I ended up paying was INR 615. A walk in ticket would have been INR 575 for the seater. Got a text message like KSRTC and I was also armed with a soft copy of the ticket. Here is a tip for those wanting to use this service in the day - there is an AC Sleeper-Seater at 10am, 11:30am and 12:30pm. The 10am and 12:30pm services are sure shot while the 11:30am sometimes gets merged with the 12:30pm one.

Why I didn't travel SETC for long

Although a long term SETC fan, I'd stopped using their services since 2018 when I wasn't in this part of the country. Also, from 2020 till a few months ago, I know they had dropped their max speeds to 70 kmph post Covid shutdown (and fuel price hike). That would mean longer travel times, while trains had become much faster by then. SETC's AC services took a long time to be restored since TN was one of the badly hit states during COVID-19. So, while I was looking forward to travelling in one of the white buses of SETC, the opportunity hadn't presented itself until that day when I had to get back to Bengaluru.

D-Day

I wasn't excited but did look forward to experience a cool journey on a sweltering summer afternoon. I was at the bus station about 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure, waiting for the bus. Every time a white bus came in, I'd get ready to move, only to discover that it was a false start. In a few minutes, I'd figured out who the other potential travellers by this bus were and I just waited, waited and waited. At approx. 12:50pm, there was an announcement that the bus would come in in a few minutes. This was primarily to reassure cat-on-the-wall passengers who were trying to get coaxed by travel agents to the waiting Red Express private bus to Bengaluru. Most passengers stood their ground, and this was quite surprising.

Waiting area at the Trichy bus station - nothing much to say

The many buses, except ours that came in one after the other - all of them were very well kept. Kudos to the Trichy SETC Depot

Our steed arrives at 01:10pm

Our bus eventually came in at 01:10pm, forty minutes behind schedule. Within a couple of minutes of arrival, another text message came in which showed the bus regn number. Reason cited for the delay was that the originally allocated bus developed an issue in the AC blower which could not be fixed and another bus was then allocated. SETC has never been adept at solving AC issues quickly should they develop. Anyways, long story short, we were on our way in less than 15 minutes after arrival.

First impressions

The moment I boarded the bus, it was a wow feeling. Clean flooring, light blue and cool interiors perfectly complemented by stainless steel bits - this was a 2019 Prakash built coach. The single seats under the berths lent a cozy feel probably because it felt like one's personal space.

Likes

• Classy on the outside - barring a few scars, the exterior was stock
• Clean window panes; surprising for a 4 year old bus. The pics I took are testimony to these clean window panes
• Engine barely audible inside if the cabin door is closed
• Super clean interiors
• Easy to maintain upholstery
• Soft blankets available in the cockpit, maybe intended for the night passengers (I'd not use these though)
• 31 seats and 15 berths in a 1+2 combination – seats on the lower level and berths above
• Berths are neither too firm nor too soft – just right
• Seats well upholstered and designed for comfort even for travel to the moon!
• Seats' recline was outstanding and legroom was adequate
• Head cushions at each berth to prevent the head from impacting plastic panels when getting up or lying down
• Neat blue curtains to separate the berths from the aisle; there is a separator curtain at every double berth too
• Rack at each berth with a dedicated slot to place water bottle, and ample space to even put a small suitcase in
• Emergency exit at the rear – on the right

Dislikes

• Bottle holder straps on seats had disappeared, courtesy vandals
• Drinking water not provided (not a dislike, but just calling this out)

Continue reading BHPian vigsom's thread on the SETC bus service for more insights and information.

The roads between Bangalore & Udupi are horrible & I noticed a big difference in the ride quality of both buses.

BHPian maskebail recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I did Bangalore to Udupi in Ambari Utsav and back on the same route in Ambari Dream class and here are my observations comparing the two.

Note: On both journeys, I was on the 2nd row - upper berth - double seat.

• Ambari Utsav does look and feel premium.
• The AC performance is better with multiple vents in Utsav; the vents in dream class get the job done, but the AC blower is very loud in Dream class. When the AC was turned on, it sounded like an aircraft ready to take off. The AC vent in both are the same - you can adjust the direction of the AC blow, but cannot adjust the speed. Both close on their own on a sudden jerk. I expected better vents on Utsav, at least with speed adjustments.
• The cabin lights are bright in Utsav (for some reason there are 2 lights per seat, and both are almost equally bright). The lights in the bus are warm white in color and not very bright so when the bus stops for some stop, it does not wake you up. The lights in dream class were too bright in comparison.
• The curtains were clean on both. The curtains in Utsav are on a channel track that keeps getting stuck everywhere and when the bus breaks suddenly, they slide off on their own. The curtain in dream class is on a rod that was far easy to move around.
• The seats on both were clean and good. The seats in dream class did not have an extra cloth lining, but Utsav did have it. The length of both seats is almost comparable, but I found Utsav seats cramped (I am almost 6ft) due to the extra cushions for the backrest and headrest (with VOLVO badging). These cushions eat up almost 2 inches and I could not stretch my legs comfortably (I found the seat length of dream class good enough and usable).
• The headrest and backrest were useless for me, the cabin is not tall enough to sit comfortably leaning on these cushions. I would have preferred not to have these cushions at all.
• USB ports on Utsav and power sockets on dream class - both worked fine. I would have liked to have one of each on both though just for added convenience.

Ride quality

• Oddly this is where I saw a big difference. The roads between Bangalore and Udupi are horrible currently (Sakleshpura route) and both buses took the exact same route (Bangalore - Sakleshpura - Mangalore - Udupi and back). On the Utsav, I just could not sleep. I felt too much movement inside the cabin throughout the journey, especially after Sakleshpur. In comparison, I could sleep very well in Dream class, yes I did feel some movements around curves, but it was not as bad as what I felt on Utsav.
• On Utsav, I felt almost every speed breaker, bad roads and curves/overtakes; on dream class, the ride was a lot more subtle/stable.

Note: The difference in ride comfort I observed may be due to differences in driver skill/the road may be better on one side of the route / etc. I am just pointing out my personal experience.

Conclusion

I always hated sleeper buses because of body movements(for this journey, I had to take these buses as wifey likes to travel in sleeper class). I just can't sleep when I feel the motion and so I avoided sleeper buses on this route all these years.

With the Utsav launch, I had very high expectations since this was launched as a luxury travel option. But I came out very disappointed with what I saw and observed. I honestly do not know why I would want to pay more for the Utsav class. I personally still like the Airavata fleet of buses as I feel they are far more comfortable (semi-sleeper) with well-sorted dynamics. (low center of gravity because there is no upper berth).

Between Dream class and Utsav, I would not recommend paying up for Utsav as you do not really get anything extra for the price.

Here's what BHPian binaiks had to say about the matter:

Was the Dream Class built by Prakash or MG? The Prakash ones are heavier and might have a slightly better ride quality compared to the Volvo-built Utsav.

Here's what BHPian vigsom had to say about the matter:

Very pointed observations there @maskebail. Thank You! I was always apprehensive about how the ride quality would be in the Mengaluru sector, and your posts confirmed my fears. When I spoke to the pilot at the depot, he did say that for them, this one rode better. But that might be on a regular highway.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I think these bus drivers only see 2 options - either run others off the road or run over them!

BHPian GKR9900 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Another day in Kerala, yet another news of an accident involving a KSRTC bus!

Anyone who has travelled by road in Kerala would’ve had at least one horror story associated with the state-owned transport subsidiary. I also had an altercation a few years back, which resulted in the enraged KSRTC driver deliberately rear-ending my vehicle. The details of that incident have been shared in this thread.

Even worse, some unlucky souls had to pay with their dear lives, just because the person behind the wheel of the KSRTC was a complete psycho, as seen in this thread.

Every time an incident happens, there is a hue and cry, media discussions, official statements, public outrage and a few weeks later, things are back to their sad, original state. The only reasonable action that has been taken in one such incident has been the suspension of the driver involved in the Kuzhalmannam incident as mentioned above. This was only possible because of the dashcam footage that was made available by a fellow team-bhpian.

Many incidents get brushed under the carpet because of a lack of proper evidence. The drivers that cause such incidents are backed by strong unions and political parties, thus avoiding any strict legal action against themselves. Time and again, various proposals were made to improve the driving etiquette of KSRTC drivers, but to no avail. The most recent one is a redressal mechanism that employs onlookers to send the video to a WhatsApp number. But this doesn’t make them KSRTC drivers shy away from displaying their shenanigans on public roads as shown in this video.

It was caught on my dashcam while I was driving home from work. The KSRTC bus pushed me off the road at a busy intersection at a place called Kalady. I was initially enraged, but my previous incident with these guys reminded me to stay calm.

I decided to proceed behind the driver to see what he is up to. And I don’t know what else to call the driver, other than a maniac. From terrorising other motorists to yield way to him, to swerving to the extreme right of the opposite lane for no particular reason, to reckless acceleration and driving on the wrong side of the road even on bridges, traffic junctions, school zones and whatnot. All this while proudly flaunting a sticker at the back that says ‘Am I driving dangerously? Whatsapp 9188619380’.

The way I see it, they only see 2 options: Either run others off the road or run over them! And I surely didn’t want to be part of that equation. I thanked myself for maintaining my composure and not trying to foolishly intimidate this guy in the beginning.A day or two passed, and there’s this news flash of 2 college kids losing their lives to a KSRTC bus driver. I googled ‘KSRTC accidents’ under the news section for the last week, and was appalled at the number of cases that cropped up. I agree, not all might be due to the fault of the bus driver. But there is a significant part of such incidents which are directly or indirectly attributed to their actions.

To be frank, many of these are not accidents, they are homicides. If you think that reckless driving of a pre-historic heavy vehicle, with poor design, wayward dynamics and questionable maintenance doesn’t bear any real-life consequences, you are not fit to be a driver! Period! Hence, putting this thread here for some peace of mind and public awareness. This madness has to stop, somehow!

Here's what BHPian kosjam had to say about the matter:

A couple of years ago, we (2 bikers on 2 bikes) had a similar experience with the Mangalore - Goa KSRTC interstate bus on the NH-66. My friend was riding slowly because the traffic was heavy and the roads at that time were not completely 4-lane.

The bus driver brought the bus so close to my friend's bike from the rear that had my friend not increased his speed, he would have been crushed under the bus. We immediately stopped and tried to tell this to the traffic police constable at the next signal less than 1 km from that point, but instead of listening to our complaint, he took our keys and started asking for our papers. The bus meanwhile cleared the signal after stopping at the signal for a good 2 minutes.

Eventually, we were let go, as all our papers were proper, but the bus had gone by then, and the police didn't even entertain our complaint, saying that the bus was long gone by now, and nothing can be done because any complaint would require us to be present and we are out of towners, so its effectively useless.

Here's what BHPian giri1.8 had to say about the matter:

Such behaviour is why people are okay with privatisation even though we end up paying a bit more.

Here's what BHPian one-77 had to say about the matter:

Fact is that private bus drives in Kerala aren’t any better. Especially the pink-coloured ones which do longer routes and have lesser stops.

Along with such aggressive driving as seen in the OP, they also blow your brains out with their terrible horns if you don’t yield, and blind you with their 90/100 bulbs in a perpetual high beam in the night.

Many of these guys also abuse marijuana and stimulants like MDMA which are known by various pet names in Kerala and apparently quite freely available. They also carry weapons on them, and hardly a week goes by before someone on the road is attacked in road rage incidents.

Sadly this is the reality of a state where general driving etiquette is on a downward spiral, and the law and order situation is worsening by the day.

Here's what BHPian jkrishnakj had to say about the matter:

For all the drama that the Kerala motor vehicles police do, I wonder what stops them from reigning in these buses and getting the KeSRTC drivers in order.

I was at Kaladi in December and in this exact stretch is where I got bullied by one such bus. I’m searching for the dash video and will upload it if I find it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The interior is very plush & bright. There's even a curtain provided in between the double berth for privacy.

BHPian bejoy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Last Saturday, I travelled from Kochi to Bangalore on one of these and it was the second trip on this particular bus. Started from the KSRTC bus stand at 7:20 pm and was at Bangalore (Silk Board) at 6:45, with a dinner break and passenger pick-up at the Thrissur Bus stand. Fare was Rs 1700.

I travel rarely by bus, but whenever I do, I take KaRTC or KeRTC Volvo sleeper buses. Comparable buses are KSRTC Dream Class (Volvo B11R Rs 1500) and KeRTC SWIFT Gajaraj (Volvo B11R Rs 1227).

Adding to the observations made by @vigsom and comparing with the other buses.

Likes

1. Berth is slightly (maybe an inch or two) longer than the Ambari Dream Class (B11R).
2. Very plush, bright interiors. The quality of materials and fit and finish is top class.
3. Double USB charging port per berth (instead of 220v outlet of Dream Class).
4. Curtain in between of double berth for privacy.

Dislikes

1. Speed locked to 80kmph. The vehicle crossed 80kmph at exactly 4 instances (from my GPS log) on the entire trip (530kms), maybe on a down slope. This is the most tiring part. I don't know about the private buses now but gone are the days when I get to Kochi in 7-8 hours in a Volvo.
2. White interiors may get dirty soon.
3. The fare is 1700 compared to 1500 for Ambari Dream Class. As a passenger, there is nothing much you get with this extra cost.

A few pics taken during the dinner break.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The moment I boarded the coach, I was awestruck as the interiors provide an uber-luxurious feel.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

This is a report of my first encounter with Karnataka SRTC (KSRTC)'s latest offering - the Volvo 9600s christened the 'Ambaari Utsav', which I'd lovingly call a Palace on Wheels. My encounter must have lasted just approx. 30 minutes, but the bus left me awestruck. Why? Read on and experience for yourself.

Background

Fortune favours the target-oriented; ever since this post by @volkman10 was published, I wanted to catch a glimpse of this new offering from Volvo. What better way to do it than to catch a glimpse of the steed while in Bengaluru? I had to visit an office close to the Corp. Circle and even before I left, I'd decided it would be great if I could get to see the Ambaari Utsav up close. The earliest departing Ambaari Utsav out of Bengaluru was at 1613hrs, so rather than waiting for one at a bus terminal and wasting half a day, I decided to try and see if I could get a close look of the beauty at a depot closeby. I went into a depot in a car, neatly turned out, and when I asked the staff if I could see the Ambaari Utsav, they were first nonplussed. However, seeing my eagerness to see their new offering, they were more than happy to allow me a quick view of one of the parked steeds. This coach comes with many features and misses out on some essential bits, but the initial impression was astounding.

Acknowledgement

My sincere thanks to the Karnataka SRTC staff at the depot who were more than happy to allow me a quick look at the Ambaari Utsav.

About the Ambaari Utsav

The Ambaari Utsav is an AC Sleeper coach built by Volvo. Quoting from @Volkman10's post of Aug-2022,

QUOTE

At the heart of the Volvo 9600 platform is a fuel-efficient Volvo D8K (8-litre) engine, delivering a power of 260kW (350hp) @ 2200 RPM and a torque of 1350 Nm @ 1200-1600 RPM. The fuel-efficient engine along with its purpose-developed drivetrain is designed to minimize TCO and maximize uptime for bus operators. The chassis includes the I-Shift automated manual gearbox, electronic braking system (EBS) Hill-start aid and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) systems. The 9600 platform is driver-friendly and has an ergonomically designed curved dashboard with controls for easy accessibility. It also has air-suspended seats with adjustable headrests to ensure a fatigue-free experience for the driver.

UNQUOTE

This is against the 10,800cc turbo-diesel engine that puts out a whopping 2100 Nm of torque at 1010-1400 rpm found on the B11R Volvo Sleeper operated as Ambaari Dream Class by the same Karnataka SRTC (KSRTC). No wonder, the gentleman I was interacting with at the depot called the Volvo 9600s engine a chota engine

In the 9600s, there is an impact beam between the rear bumper and the crankshaft pulley, but the gap between the impact beam and the pulley is virtually Nil (like between the coolant tank and the AC compressor pulley in the old Innova). In the B11R though, there is an adequate gap between the rear bumper and the pulley - but no impact beam.

The Volvo 9600s engine bay - note the black impact beam between the bumper and the crankshaft pulley - the gap between the beam and the crankshaft pulley is very very low.

KSRTC Ambaari Utsav First impressions

The moment I boarded the coach, I was awestruck; faux wood flooring, canary yellow curtains, and super-white and black combo upholstery give the inside an uber-luxurious feel.

KSRTC Ambaari Utsav Likes

• Every glass on the sides sports an EMERGENCY EXIT sticker
• Hammers to break glass in an emergency
• Emergency buttons
• Classy on the outside
• Faux wood flooring
• Rich upholstery
• Forty berths in a 1+2 combination – 20 lower and 20 upper
• Berths are neither too firm nor too soft – just right
• Head and back cushions (with VOLVO markings) at each berth for passengers to sit comfortably and stretch their legs when not lying down
• PU moulded ladder and side supports, are made to last long
• Pin drop silence inside the coach at idle
• Mobile charging points, mobile phone holders, USB ports and reading lights for each berth
• Beautifully designed canary yellow curtains to separate the berths from the aisle, and also to separate the two passengers on the double berth
• Rack at each berth with ample space to even put a small suitcase in
• Engine is barely audible even at the last row

KSRTC Ambaari Utsav Dislikes

• Maintaining the white panels and upholstery is going to be a huge task
• No washroom on board

Cabin views of the Ambaari Dream Class sleeper to compare with:

Prakash built B11R Sleeper

Continue reading BHPian vigsom's Ambaari Utsav review more insights and information.

Had to use the Kerala SRTC as I had to travel to Ernakulam on short notice and the trains weren't available.

BHPian BLACNWYTE recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Many of us might have experienced horrible things during the use of public transportation. The usual inconvenience of being overcrowded, rusty, unclean, and tardy notwithstanding, I want this thread to enumerate the extreme experiences that these institutions provide. Be it rail, bus or ferry. Maybe this is what causes more and more people to leave public transportation and makes our overburdened infrastructure even more pathetic.

Now I know there is a thread which discusses why someone has stopped using public transportation, however, I could not find one regarding horrible experiences while using one. This is not a post regarding why I have stopped using public transport (read Kerala SRTC buses) but might soon stop. If mods do feel like this belongs in that thread kindly merge this.

Coming to my horrible experience, I had to travel from Trivandrum to Ernakulam on short notice and train tickets were unavailable so I decided to make the journey through KSRTC Super-fast Bus. Booked the ticket online and got a confirmed seat. In hindsight this was a good decision since the KSRTC is a mess now, they have fewer schedules operating and most of them are pre-booked almost fully. So if you want to get a seating of your choice you will have to reserve tickets for long-distance travel.

Coming back to my ordeal, the bus was supposed to start from Trivandrum depot at 3:30 PM. I reached the depot by 3 PM and was informed that the bus will reach by 3:30 PM from the reservation desk. I informed them that I have a reservation but I have not yet received my SMS with the bus number and contact info of the conductor. Usually, you get this message around 30 minutes prior to your scheduled bus departure. I was again told not to worry, the conductor will have the reservation details with him and I will be contacted. So I started my wait. 3:15 PM, still no SMS. 3:30 PM came and went, no SMS and no bus apparently. I again approached the enquiry section and they told me that the bus is running late. They didn't know when it will be there. When I specifically asked isn't the bus originating from this depot they said the bus is currently completing a trip and it will come here and then proceed to the next destination and still they didn't exactly know where the bus was at.

Anybody who had travelled by road from Trivandrum to Ernakulam during peak hours will know that it is at least a 6-7 hour trip to cover 200 odd kilometres. On top of it, this was the end of the weekend after Onam and everybody seems to be coming or going somewhere. To say the road was crowded will be an understatement.

4 PM - still no sign of SMS or the bus. This was the first time that I was having a bad experience with KSRTC in the past 5-6 years. However, this was about to get worse. I had booked my ticket through MMT, and I could see only the starting point and end point info of my journey in the app. Unknowingly I had booked the bus which went via MC road instead of my usual choice of NH 66. I learnt this only after I boarded the bus.

Anyway, at 4:15 and finally I got an SMS mentioning the bus number and contact info of the conductor and I quickly dialled the number only to hear a busy tone. This happened for the next 3-4 tries after which I accepted the fact that I'm not going to get through. The bus was still not to be seen. Enquiry at the desk was as fruitful as the first time. Finally, at around 4:30, the bus pulled into the depot and I boarded asap and dropped my bag someplace safe and expected the bus to leave swiftly since it was already an hour late.

The bus driver, (new shift, new guy) was heard saying we are so late we will leave immediately as my seat was just diagonally opposite to that of the driver. A fellow came and asked the driver when will the bus leave as he had to go to the restroom to which the driver replied that he cannot guarantee anything as it was already very late and that's why he is still idling the engine. This cemented my belief that we will depart soon and that fellow went back to his seat most probably dreading extreme bladder control given the next rest stop could be 2-3 hrs away.

Expecting to leave immediately, I plugged in my headphones, loaded my favourite playlist for the road got into a comfortable position and waited. Waiting. Still waiting. Some more and then the driver just shut off the engine opened the door, got down and went somewhere! The nerve!. If I were surprised, I don't know what that guy was feeling, who the driver told he couldn't go pee because we will be leaving immediately. Well to his relief, he used this as an opportunity to run to the loo. Good for him.

The bus was supposed to leave at 3:30 PM from Trivandrum and reach Aluva (Ernakulam) by around 9 PM. Since I was expecting a realistic time of 10 pm while booking the tickets, as of now I was hoping that we might reach by 11 PM -12 AM. Check out the timeline. I leave home at 2:30 PM saying my bus is at 3:30 PM and I expect to reach my destination by 9-9:30 PM. Now it's almost 5 PM and I have not yet started!

At last, the driver-conductor duo decided that it was time to leave by 5 PM and we started and quickly ran into some heavy traffic. The driver was intermittently saying we are so late and I was very strongly getting the urge to flick his nose. You know that thing you want to do to someone that constantly annoys you? As annoying as he was another annoying thing was the traffic. As the bus took a right turn where it should have been left, I knew that I screwed up the booking. This was kind of taking a gamble. If traffic is less then MC road is faster than NH 66 but with traffic, it's a nightmare. Since I am super lucky all the traffic to Trivandrum was coming via MC road. The two-lane highway was made 4-5 lanes by we the people.

I have to hand some credit to the KSRTC drivers. In many places where I don't dare in my car this guy was squeezing into a 12-meter-long bus. It's bad road manners and even worse discipline but as he said he has a schedule to keep (really?). We were encountering 1-2 km long queues of vehicles and making progress at a snail's pace. People on road were getting agitated, and frustrated and the occasional yelling was also heard. People trying to cut the queue by going on the wrong side were blocked by even angrier drivers from oncoming traffic and we the behemoth skirting the queue through the left shoulder were not helping the matter.

It was 7 PM and we would have travelled hardly 30-40 km. I was consoling myself that once the traffic clears and we reach the wider sections, the notorious superfast speed is going to kick in and I'll be at my destination albeit 1-2hr delay. Oh, how wrong I was.

Enter the wider sections of the road with less traffic, the bus was not going beyond 60 km/h, I know because I check Google maps. Initially, I thought it was the bus. It was quite an old AL bus which revved hard without any visible output. Then came the lugging by the driver. He was trying to climb uphill roads in 3rd and 4th gear at 20-30 km/h. As I was sitting close I could feel the full effect of engine lugging but the driver was not letting up. It was like he had a personal goal of getting to the top of the climb in whatever gear he was in. This type of driving was the norm till the end of the journey.

At around 9:30 - 10 PM, we stopped somewhere along the way for a dinner break, 10-15 mins and resumed the journey. It was at a bus depot but I can't quite recall which. The only thing consistent with the driver lugging the engine was he repeating how late we were even though he did not seem interested in doing something about it.

Finally, the bus pulled into Aluva Bus Station at about 1 AM, a spectacular 4 hours late than its actual scheduled time. Now since I screwed up the booking I had to get another bus to get home and since there are no local buses at that ungodly hour I have to take a different long-distance bus to the place/ stop I actually want to go. I don't know if this is a regular case but all the long-distance buses which were coming there were jam-packed and there were a lot of people at the depot also. Maybe I picked the wrong weekend or it's my regular luck, I was sure that I won't be catching a bus for the onward journey so decided to call it a day by booking an Uber. It cost me as much as my bus journey for the short commute home in Uber. The whole affair was a loss of time, loss of money and most importantly loss of the fun factor of the road trip for me.

Kerala SRTC is maybe the most pathetic RTC of them all. They are a horrendous loss-making organisation riddled with union politics and systematic destruction of property by the employees. What prompted me to write this was the recent two incidents which received wide media attention as to the extent of rot in the system.

In the first case, a father, teenage daughter and daughter's friend were manhandled and beaten up by Kerala SRTC officials in Trivandrum (Kattakada Depot) while they were at the depot for renewing the girl's student bus pass concession. Apparently, the officials asked for the course certificate of the girl which had already been submitted three months prior. When the father asked if it is really necessary since the course certificate is valid for the entire academic year. The officials took offence to this and started verbally abusing/ being crass with the father and when the exasperated father remarked that these kinds of officials are the bane of Kerala SRTC, the matter escalated and the father-daughter duo was dragged into an adjacent room by the officials and security and beaten up.

Link to news

In the second case, A lady conductor verbally abused and threatened passengers along with the support of the driver. When the issue was raised by a passenger, the conductor-driver duo tried to get a case registered against the person for creating a nuisance under the influence of alcohol and when it fell apart at the police station they tried to get him blamed for halting the trip and get him fined. However, that attempt also failed and the person has formally filed a complaint with the police and the Kerala SRTC CMD.

Link to news

(Watch from 33:10 onwards, apologies as the news are in Malayalam, couldn't find the English version. Also, the first part of the debate is about the Kattakada Depot issue)

At a time when the organisation is struggling to meet day-to-day operational expenses, these people are eroding whatever little goodwill and sympathy Kerala SRTC has left with the public with these antics.

I know that the two issues I mentioned, in the end, are far more horrible than what I have ever experienced but seeing the trend it's not too far in future that anyone can be put through an ordeal. So if you have any such personal, horrible experience and feel to share it, please do so.

Here's what BHPian DustyWanderer had to say on the matter:

I really hate KSRTC. Two times they almost killed me by coming at lightning speed in the opposite lane in a blind corner. When I asked the driver if he does not have common sense and if he would have killed my entire family for his stupidity, he just started using abusive words and left.

The people around us were looking at the incident like this is not new and were not giving any support, I did not have a dashcam at that time and after which I got it.

These careless bus drivers will force you to kill yourself by coming in the opposite lane and give you two choices, either date to go straight at them and if luck is on your side stop in time or the option is to simply go outside the road and be it river or hill, you will be alive based on how you handle the car.

My friend once said that if a KSRTC bus crash into your car, the best you could do is to thrash the bus driver and conductor because even if we go with insurance or case, the max they will give us is 1 lakh.

Here's what BHPian Nanolover had to say on the matter:

Don't ever my friends, get the idea of bashing these people. One of my friends did it in a spate of rage (his bike was sideswiped by a drunk KSRTC driver and he and his wife fell off (wife lost consciousness), and the bus sped off without stopping).

In his fit of rage ( understandable), he caught up with the bus and asked him why he did not stop. The driver started abusing him, bashing my friend from his seat and my friend, by now furious, hit back and trashed him proper. While traffic was disrupted and police arrived. The driver somehow managed to escape with the keys to my friend's bike. Police apparently told my friend to come to the station and will sort it out there. Big mistake! upon reaching the station, how the tables turned!

A friend was slapped with non-bailable charges ( injuring a government official, apparently drivers are government employees) and had to spend 2 days in jail (the second Saturday). The union came behind the driver with support, got him admitted to a hospital and spun the story the other way around (threats, abuse all-inclusive).

Now the case is in court and I don't know how it is going now, to be honest. A friend has left for Canada and I don't think he will ever be back here again.

Getting out of their way is the best option. Not worth our time or sanity to teach these folks anything.

Here's what BHPian surfatwork had to say on the matter:

Kerala SRTC is unreliable, unsafe, unclean, uncomfortable and uncouth. Also more expensive than the neighbouring state's SRTCS. There, summed it up. Don't travel by Kerala SRTC.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Ambaari Dream Class is a Volvo AC Sleeper coach (MG Starz) built by mgbusandcoach on the Volvo B11R chassis.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

This is a review cum travel experience on my longest roadway ride this far – 1000 km from Mumbai to Bengaluru by an unusual mode of travel viz. a Karnataka SRTC Volvo Sleeper, christened Ambaari Dream Class. This coach comes with a host of features and misses out on some essential bits, but the overall experience was out of the ordinary.

Why a bus for such a long ride?

I wanted to undertake an impromptu trip down south, and, as expected, there were no tickets available on trains at short notice. Flights have now gotten boring. Don’t know why, but I just visited the KarnatakaSRTC site to know if they had buses from Mumbai to Bengaluru (knowing that they had been plying services for many years). Options were an Ambaari Dream Class Volvo sleeper with departure Mumbai Central 1500hrs, and another Airavat Club Class Multi Axle Volvo seater leaving Dahisar at 1530hrs. While the Airavat had ample seats, the Ambaari had only a solitary berth available.

I took a while to understand the pros and cons of a road journey, especially on the unpredictable Mumbai – Pune and Pune- Satara sections. I however decided to take this under the following arguments:

1. Long been wanting to drive this sector, and my plans got shelved twice with ever-changing rules around Covid protocols
2. Wanted to experience the Mumbai – Pune expressway, and the Pune – Satara ghat sections which I’d never been on
3. To assess my capability in enduring a long roadway ride in a bus

The decision was taken in less than 30 minutes, and I visited the Karnataka SRTC site again, to find that solitary berth still there, priced at a very competitive INR1987. I went ahead with the booking, and then found a train from Vadodara that would connect me to this bus.

I took a train from Vadodara at 0730hrs to be in Mumbai Central by 1300hrs. All I needed to do was to come out of Mumbai Central Terminus, cross the road, and enter the Mumbai Central Bus Station, which I was entering for the first time. The bus station looked rather old but was reasonably neat. I was in there by 1315hrs. Seeing that there was ample time to departure, I ventured out into the massive parking to find many NWKRTC buses and there in one corner, saw the Ambaari Dream Class for the first time – looked absolutely royal in white with some nice graphics on the side. The crew had brought the bus into Mumbai at 1000hrs that day and had just gotten up after some rest. I asked one of them, who was in rest wear and he confirmed that the bus would come to platform#7 at 1430hrs.

Ambaari Dream Class Volvo Sleeper resting before the long haul

I returned to the waiting area, which was extremely comfortable thanks to the great ventilation in the building, and waited with bated breath for the stallion to arrive.

Waiting area at Mumbai Central bus station - old but reasonably neat

The bus was at the platform at 1430hrs. Two of us were scheduled to board the bus at Mumbai Central and we were on our way 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure, headed towards Sion to pick up more passengers.

About the Ambaari Dream Class

The Ambaari Dream Class is a Volvo AC Sleeper coach (MG Starz) built by mgbusandcoach on the Volvo B11R chassis. This is powered by a 10,800cc turbo-diesel engine mated to Volvo ‘I-Shift’ 12-speed gearbox. From what I’ve gathered, the engine puts out a whopping 2100 Nm of torque at 1010-1400rpm. Electronically-controlled all-air suspension system (ECS) complemented by air bellows on the axles, anti-roll bars on all the axles and disc brakes on all wheels assisted by ABS, EBD and ESP, provide the desired comfort and safety.

Nameplate

Front wheels - 295/80R22.5 tyres - JK Jetway is a very popular tyre.

Rear twin axles

The tag axle which assists in a low turning radius

Jacking point for the front marked

Forty berths are provided in a 2x1 upper and lower berth configuration The design of the Starz coach is elegant, and practical and provides great aesthetic appeal with the right ergonomics. The exterior styling shows crisp lines and smooth and glossy sides. The front eyebrow headlamps with a massive windshield and a characteristic roof-tail section make this coach stand out as classy. The window panes offer a panoramic exterior view

View from the window

The Exteriors

The dashboard is ergonomically designed, with the driver control panels oriented towards the driver seat on either side of the telescopically adjustable steering wheel. The driver has a commanding view of the front and the sides aided by massive ORVMs and even more massive windshield wipers. I also saw a 7” monitor which I am sure is fed by a reverse camera although I did not see it in action.

The controls - note the headlamps on-off knob and the controls for the tag axle, vehicle suspension height control.

Continue reading BHPian Check out BHPian vigsom's KSRTC review for more insights and information.

KSRTC acknowledged the connection and decided to retain this service.

BHPian sarathlal recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Live to Drive - an emotion we TBHPians hold close to our hearts. And here’s introducing Mr Ponnukkuttan, a KSRTC bus driver who shares the same emotion.

As part of KSRTC’s recent fleet and route revival, a new era of buses under ‘SWIFT’ (Read more on this here) was supposed to replace a set of routes run by the traditional interstate buses like the Super Expresses and Super Deluxes. One such route that got axed was the Changanassery Velankanni Super Express. And as soon as the news of the same surfaced, its driver, Mr Ponnukkuttan could not hide his emotions and social media was filled with his emotional farewell to the machine he loves to the core.

Now, KSRTC in an unexpected move decided to acknowledge the whole-hearted relationship its employee is having with the bus he drives and decided to retain this service!

The man:

The machine:

The emotion:

Although much of the attention turned towards the incident, this particular bus is not alien to those who follow the ‘aana vandi’ (Pet name for KSRTC buses by its fans)

Few older videos of the same bus in action.

Video 1

Video 2

Video with the detailed news

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

That is just so cool! Every man loves his machine, be it the fellow riding a basic electric scooter, the dude in his Thar, the industrialist in his Ferrari and the cabbie in his well-kept black & yellow Santro. I love my rusty Jeep as much as Max does his Red Bull.

A sweet reminder of that. Incredible story, thanks for sharing!

Here's what BHPian hellmet had to say on the matter:

I can relate so well to the emotion. Just last year I handed over the keys of our family's M800 to the MS dealer in exchange for an S-Presso. This was the car that saw me through my childhood and took me to so many places. I broke into tears handing over the keys and kept bidding the car goodbye until I left the parking area.

It was still functioning terrifically but it had to be replaced as we desperately wanted a car with an AC. If only I had another parking spot.

Here's what BHPian Malyaj had to say on the matter:

The feeling is understandable. Truck drivers too are quite attached to their trucks. Perhaps more than bus drivers are.

This reminds me of a day, long back in school (I think almost 30 years back). I was on staff room duty (or something like that, I don't recall what it was called). Every student had to do staff room duty once a year, where they would help out the teachers with admin related stuff. That day I was with the Admin in charge of the school who was listening to the sob story of a school bus driver.

"Meri minibus mujhe wapas karo", the driver said. He was adamant he wanted to drive the Minibus and not the recently inducted, fancier bus. The 'Mini bus' was a crap bus actually (I used to travel on it), but very chuckable and I could understand that the driver wanted it back badly.

Here's what BHPian jeeva had to say on the matter:

I can relate to the emotions of Mr. Ponnukuttan.

During my schooling days at Ooty, there was this Hino engine'd erstwhile Cheran bus (now TNSTC) doing its round from Ooty to Calicut. Nobody really knew the name of the driver, but he was loving addressed to as "bhai". The bus was pretty popular because of his clinically neat driving skills and timing. He never used to brake on those curvy roads of Nilgiris, and I still have no clue how he managed it, but the bus was absolutely vibration-free. You could only hear the subdued engine humming away. I have later experienced this level of mature driving style only with our ex-servicemen drivers. Come to any vacation, I used to stand behind him just to watch him drive and be in awe, looking at the way he used to rev match, shift gears, and work his magic with precise steering inputs. It was such a pleasure to be a passenger in "his" bus. Bhai used to maintain this bus so meticulously that he and his regular passengers used to celebrate the bus's birthday together. Good old days!

Yeah, for some, their machines aren't just another piece of engineering, but a part of their family.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.