Karnataka SRTC launches Volvo buses with pantry and toilet

[KS]

Airavat was the first Volvo in service among the four southern states afaik and it is once again the pioneer in this new category...:thumb:

If you board Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation's Airavat Bliss or Airavat Superia buses, you do not have to worry whether the conductor will oblige you by stopping the bus if you need to go to the toilet or have some refreshments.

For, six new buses that have a chemical toilet, pantry, WiFi connectivity and individual television sets were launched by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Home and Transport R. Ashok here on Wednesday.

Four of the buses will operate on the Bangalore-Chennai route and two will be pressed into service between Bangalore and Tirupati. All these buses have chemical toilets and two of them even have a pantry.

The fare on Bangalore-Tirupati buses with pantry and chemical toilet is Rs. 450 for day journey and Rs. 500 for night journey. The fare on Bangalore-Chennai buses with pantry and chemical toilet is Rs. 650 for day journey.

Mr. Ashok said, "For the first two months, WiFi will be provided free. Later, it will be charged based on usage."

About the other initiatives of the KSRTC, Mr. Ashok said that 919 new buses would be pressed into service from this year. They include 164 ordinary buses, 75 express buses, 37 rural buses, 30 multi-axle buses, 30 non-AC buses, 10 sleeper buses and 40 Karnataka Vybhava buses.

Mr. Ashok said that the construction of a satellite bus station being taken up at a cost of Rs. 32 crore would be completed by the year-end.

To make the system of recruitment and placement of drivers more transparent, Mr. Ashok said that counselling will be similar to CET counselling and drivers would be posted based on their performance and available options.

Mr. Ashok told reporters that the KSRTC would introduce intelligence transport system with the help of GPRS system.

"This will help us monitor drivers and check if they have skipped a stop or are over-speeding," he added.

In addition, Mr. Ashok said that the buses could be tracked online by well-wishers of passengers. "As many as 326 buses in Mysore have been fitted in with GPRS system on a trial basis," he added.

Airavat bus --

 

[Daredevil]

Pics of the Bus and the toilet.

 

[Daredevil]

More pics

 

[trackwhack]

Nice ... 650 for a trip to Chennai. That's like $14. Awesome service at an amazing price.

Also, the last I heard, KSRTC is one of the few public transport systems in our country that are profitable.

 

[Daredevil]

Definitely KRSTC is best bus management company. They were always in the forefront in bringing new stuff.

 

[KS]

What in the name of Jupiter's cock is this "Emergency Toilet" ?

 

[Ray]

Fantastic.

Worth every :inr: in the fare.

 

[KS]

But one recurring theme will all these state owned buses is..after the initial fanfare the maintenance is downright pathetic and the new buses lose their sheen injust months time...

 

[Predator]

>>Mr. Ashok said, "For the first two months, WiFi will be provided free. Later, it will be charged based on usage."

I'm loving it, hope they don't block torrents

 

[Blackwater]

Q is not they have introduced the service.

Big Q is, How well they will maintained it and keep the toilets cleaned

 

[sob]

No the question is how do we keep the toilet clean. Even on flights within no time the toilets are all wet and dirty. How do we manage it??????