Published BY: prashant
pramod.das17@gmail.com

Is BLR-TVM volvo the fastest bus of kerala??

Last week i travelled from BLR to ALP by kerala srtc volvo - Garuda service. I am sharing my exp in this bus. I boarded the bus @ madiwala around 5 :45 pm. The bus cruised well and to my surprise , i could find only very few passengers on board. Roughly around 15 nos (may be because it was on wednesday). The bus didnot stop anywhere till salem where it stopped nearly about 25 min for dinner at around 8 :15 pm. Then after it reached coimbatore at 11 :10 pm .

Then i dont remember much because i had fallen asleep. I woke up when it reached ernakulam @ around 3 :20 am (just 4 hours from coimbatore to ekm) and they dropped me around 4:20am near to YMCA bridge. It was fantastic 4:20 am @ alappuzha. Bangalore to alappuzha( around 10 hours with 25 min break). I asked the conductor when will it reach tvm they said it will be around 6:15 am. Vow what a great bus and speed.

I was impressed at the driving skills of the TVM drivers. I think this is the best bus of KERALA srtc. HATS off to KSRTC VOLVO and wish kesrtc to procure more volvos like this to different routes. I think this volvo is a great one to travel , I didnot find the fare to be more when compared to lucrative private operators .

The bus is in great condition , maintained welll. We should encourage more people to travel by these kind of buses rather than karnataka airavat so that our transport corporation will fetch more revenues and increase the quality of transportation . thanks

Posted By: Sudhir Kumar
aksnambiar@hotmail.com

Hi All,

I am a regular passenger of Kerala KSRTC on Bangalore - Kannur route.

I wanted to share my recent experience of traveling to Ernakulam by KSRTC on 30th Jan`2010. I have awailed 11:30 PM bus from Bangalore (via sultanbateri route) without knowing the time it will take to reach EKM.My general idea about traveling time to EKM was 12 Hrs maximum. But when I realised my mistake it was too late and there was no choice.

So, I along with my friend traveled on this. The bus stoped at the one place for more than 2 hrs as the night traveling was not permited in that route due to a ban by the Honourable Karnataka High court. And by the time we reached sultanbaheri it was 06:00 am and maximum time permited at the depot for the natuaral call was 15/20 minute.

The next was at 09:30 am at Kozhikode again the stopage was 5/8 minutes. The driver and conductor was upset and give us a nasty look when we took 08 minutes to have a quick bite (Breakfast).

The next stopage is at Thrissur at 12:30 pm with just 05 minutes time permited for natuaral call. And by the time we reached Ernakulam, it was 2:45PM. The total travel time was about 15 Hours.

Now, my question is why KSRTC is taking this route knowing fully well that the night travel is banned in these route? As a result of my experience I had to cancel my return ticket which was booked for 3rd Feb,2010 (for four persons)

Secondly, is it a crime to avail KSRTC service that they have tourtured us by denying time to go for natural call and have breakfast / lunch ?

Thirdly I wanted to know for whom KSRTC is doing this service ? Surely not for the passengers.

Fourthly, The ticket I had booked for my return cancelled on 31st Jan`2010,again KSRTC deducted 25% of the booking amount inspite of having cancelled 3 days prior to the date of travel.

Fifthly, The travel time taken on my return journey by KSRTC (Karnataka)Volvo was less than 10 hours. So why is Kerala KSRTC plying such routes which is not in the interest of the passenger?

Sixthly, the vehicle for the long trip is not suitable for the purpose. On the other hand Karnataka KSRTC is having Volvo bus and offers one mineral water bottel to all the passengers on board. In service industry there is tough competion and only those will survive who offer comfort and convinience. How will we expect KSRTC will be in black, if they offer such poor service ?

Finally, I also wanted to give one observation about the driving. There was two drivers for the bus. one of them was in his fourties and drived well. The other driver a young guy just drives vehicle very roughly. Anybody with little experience can understand that he is not fit to drive vehicles.If he continue to drive the vehicle I am sure KSRTC will make alot of expenses on the maitenance of the vehicle. It would be nice if some good driver should be entrusted with this kind of vehicle.

The mail was writen with no expectation, but with a good intention to inform those in the higher echelon of KSRTC about the facts which they may have never experinced in their life time and seriously wanted to address it.

Two computers, used for electronic disbursal of bus tickets at the Alappuzha depot of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), were seized following revenue recovery orders from the District Sub-Court on Monday.

According to KSRTC officials, the computers were seized following cases filed by two persons in the Sub-Court and the Munsiff Court in connection with a loan taken from them by a person who earlier used to run the KSRTC canteen on a contract basis. The contractor, Shahul Hameed, allegedly borrowed Rs.80,000 from one P.C. Antony and Rs.40,000 from K.U. Ramanan, both of whom filed separate cases to regain the money after Hameed defaulted.

Though Hameed had stopped running the RTC canteen way back in 1996, his security deposit of Rs.52,353 was still with the Corporation. Following the complaint lodged by Mr. Ramanan, the Munsiff Court ordered the Corporation to submit Rs.40,000 with the court, which the Corporation did. However, the Sub-Court, acting on the complaint lodged by Mr. Antony, also ordered the KSRTC to submit Rs.80,000. Though the Corporation submitted the Rs.12,353 it had with it after submitting Rs.40,000 in the Munsiff Court, the Sub-Court ordered that the entire amount would have to paid.

Ticket Disbursal

The Corporation failed to do so, and on Monday, the computers were seized. KSRTC officials said they were not given any notice on the recovery procedure, following which the electronic ticket disbursal system had to be stopped, which in turn caused delays in the entire system at the depot.

News courtesy: Hindu.com

Published By: Kishore Sasi
kishsasi@gmail.com

Dear All,

I have recently started using the KSRTC service on a regular basis and have the following observations

1) Most conductors are arrogant and do not know how to deal with customers.
a) They should realize without these passengers' they wouldn't be having their jobs.
b) There should be performance incentives based on customer service and promotions should be strictly based on these.

2) The drivers should be trained on relaxation techniques and if possible the art of living. In Dubai (where I was based), the govt took the initiate to teach the art of living techniques to all the truck drivers irrespective of their nationalities!

3)Conductors do not announce the stop name for the benefit of passnegers who can't see the surroundings. They must do that and should be part of their job description (if there is one).
a) Why can't the put a stop request bell for the benefit of the passengers. Depending on the bus type, the driver can decide whether to stop or not if there are no passengers waiting to board the bus. Most arguments happen when conductors fail to respond to passengers request to stop.

4) Move the ladies' seats to the back of thebus where the normally crowd.

5) All reserved seats can be moved to be around the doors so that the targeted commuters could easily identify the seats and wouldn't have difficulty in getting out.

5) Should try to avoid the last row of seats because there is nothing to protect the passengers in the event of a collision. KSRTCBLOG should file an RTI to know the fatality rates of those involved in a crash while sitting in the last row.

6) Instead of fighting for the 50paisa change (when not available) why can't the conductors distribute toffees?

The K.V.Rabindran Nair(former chief Secretary) Commission report highlights abnormality of minimum charges by which a passenger is able to travel only 2Kms. In his report- Page 49 Para 24 :- The commission recommends that The distance to be traveled for minimum charge should be the minimum charge divided by the kilometer ordinary rate distance.

For example :- Suppose Minimum charge is 150paise and ordinary kilometer rate is 30paise then the passenger can travel 5 kilometer for the minimum charge. As per G.O.(MS)7/2004 dated 7.2.2004 Government of Kerala has also recommended the same in an affidavit filed in the Hon.High Court of Kerala. As per G.O.No:(RT)2004/2005/Tran dated 29.7.2005- Sheela Thomas Commission was constituted and in her report also the disparity of Minimum charge was also pointed out.

On 12.12.2006 Transport Department had filed an affidavit stating that the Government of Kerala will allow the passengers to travel 5Kilometers for the Minimum fare. Till 1989 passengers enjoyed the privilege of travelling 5Kms by paying minimum charges.

In view of the above, it is suggested that the Minimum charge should not be increased and why the Government of Kerala is not allowing the passengers to travel 5 Kms for the minimum charges in ordinary buses in kerala.

We the passengers request the Hon.High Court of Kerala and the Government of Kerala to kindly consider the request of the passengers to allow them to travel 5Kms for the minimum charge while considering the hike of bus charge as recommended by the NATPAK for which we the passengers would be very much grateful to the Hon. High Court and the Government of Kerala.


Yours faithfully,
FOR PASCHIMAKOCHI PASSENGERS' ASSOCIATION,


S.PADMANABHA MALLYA
SECRETARY.