The KSRTC’'s plan to operate 20 brand new Venad city service buses from the city to Paravur and Kodungalloor through the Goshree bridges received a recent setback after a section of private bus operators approached the court.

Their contention was that the introduction of more buses in the city would worsen traffic congestion. Though private bus owners had over a year ago approached the court opposing the KSRTC’s 10 services linking Aluva and Thripunithura through the Airport-Seaport Road, the RTC was able to get a favourable ruling. All the services now run on profit.

Despite promises made by the Transport Department, the KSRTC is yet to operate city buses in Kochi using the 50 permits reserved for it. A Motor Vehicles Department official said the RTC can easily run more than 50 city buses, since there is a huge demand for public transport in residential and commercial areas left untouched by private buses.

The corporation’s goodwill increased after it operated 50 additional services in the city during the private bus strike some time ago. “The agency used to operate city services in Kochi till over a decade ago. “The RTC’s city services will end the monopoly of private buses in the city. Civic agencies must earmark pay-and-park centres on government lands and vacant private lands, so that people can park their vehicles there and commute to the city in buses,” he said.

Inadequate public transport in the routes has led to people travelling to the city in cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers, causing congestion on the roads.

News Courtesy To Hindu.com

At last KSRTC is doing that. Yes, They are going to divert 85 Super Fast Buses through Edappally - Vyttilla - Aroor stretch of NH 47. This helps the passengers to save time and corporation to save the fuel and wear and tear of the buses.

Passengers will be able to save at least an hour that they now endure through congested routes when the buses pass through the city hub and West Kochi. The regional authorities of the agency had submitted to the head office a list of 46 south-bound and 39 north-bound buses that can be diverted through the highway. This would mean that almost half the number of superfast buses that currently pass through the Ernakulam bus stand would be diverted through the highway. This would also reduce congestion in the city hub, as many of these buses operate two or more daily trips through the city.

Since superfast buses from different RTC units operate trips through Ernakulam, the schedule of each bus would have to be reworked, said an official. Buses which ply shorter distances might even be able to ply an additional trip daily, utilising the time saved on the other trips. On its part, the KSRTC would have to ready a full-fledged station-master office and parking area at Vytilla for the superfast buses that would be diverted.

“The diversion will not seriously affect commuters to West Kochi since the RTC’s ordinary, fast passenger and rest of the superfast buses would continue to operate through there. We would operate more services if required through the area,” the official said.

News Courtesy to Hindu.com

Hmm.... We all are happy. Here ends all the controvorsies happened behind the volvo with KSRTC and Cochin Corporation.
Yeah it started long back. I have regularly updated all the dispute between KSRTC and Cochin Corporation in this blog.



Some of them are

1. Volvo buses to hit Tvm, Ekm roads from Nov 17th

2. Luxury buses will start thier journey in Kochi from November 1

3. Low floor buses ready to hit city roads,informs KSRTC

4. Routing trouble for Volvo In Cochin

5. KSRTC threatens to pull out of premium bus project

6. Cochin Missed the HighTech Buses

Flagging off the seven orangecoloured Volvo buses at the Vyttila junction, Transport Minister Jose Thettayil sought the cooperation of the public to make the new bus service a success.“In Thiruvananthapuram, the Volvo buses are not very successful. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC) will have to bear the additional liability if the bus service does not reach upto the break-even level,” he said.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas on Monday inaugurated the much-awaited Volvo lowfloor bus service in the city. Lets hope that the new hi-tech buses would attract more people towards the public transport system, thereby easing the traffic congestion on the city roads.

Flagging off the seven orangecoloured Volvo buses at the Vyttila junction, Transport Minister Jose Thettayil sought the cooperation of the public to make the new bus service a success.“In Thiruvananthapuram, the Volvo buses are not very successful. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC) will have to bear the additional liability if the bus service does not reach upto the break-even level,” he said.

It’s the same B8400 variant of Volvo transit bus which is rocking Bangalore roads that has hit the roads in Ernakulam. If you ask me, the dashing red coloured Volvo in Bangalore, looks a bit more attractive than the Orange colour Kerala RTC has chosen. Nevertheless, it should be a good experience to Cochin commuters. (Even Singapore and several other countries use this same model...)

Ticket prices are higher compared with BMTC Volvos In Bangalore (though diesel is cheaper in Kerala) starting Rs 10. (In Bangalore fares varies depends upon the routes.) (Makes more economical than unruly overpriced meter less autos in Cochin)




Other observations:

The comfort looks and performance a Volvo offers is not met by any of its competitors in the luxury buses segment.

The AC is nice and melodious radio complements the ambiance.

The driver has a rear view LCD screen with live feed from a camera. (LCD Powered By Karbon)

The automatic door. They are present for the sake of being there. Not of much use and does not really keep safety in mind. It is open most of the time, or when closed, it is opened whenever a passenger wants to hop off or hop on at places other than the bus stop itself.
The console has an LED screen which shows both system generated messages as well as messages relayed by control tower. A mike and an Ahuja audio system are obviously added additionally.

Cameras and Fire alarms have been provided. The central floor is extremely spacious to accommodate luggage, people with wheel chair or even a stretcher. Journey is smooth and comfortable. The driver steers the Volvo as if he's driving a car!!

There are electricity plug points where you can charge your laptop / mobile phone. (Dont know it will work or not)

Disc brakes that ensure passengers are not jerked forward

Another important thing is the ample amount of free space inside the bus. You will never need to anxiously wait for you to get out of the heavily crowded bus.

Noise levels, or the absence of it, is amazing as well. Not only is the engine noise well contained, but the bus also smothers outside noises, so for once, you can talk to your co-passengers without SHOUTING. It is indeed surreal, this level of refinement.

Almost everyone on the roadside-Other drivers, traffic police, general public, everyone turn their head and stare at Volvo as it passes by. If you sit near Window you can hope to gain some popularity.

KSRTC's Official Website is not yet updated with Volvo related information..

Note the automatic transmission-the D, N and R buttons-driving volvo is as easy as driving a scooty, except for the estimation skill you need while turning, owing to huge dimensions of the vehicle. But if you ask me, I love the manual transmission better-The sheer fun of changing gears manually-I feel like a handicapped while driving automatic-your left leg and hand has almost no use...

What is your take on that?

Let me know.

Fast, Refined and Comfortable, the Volvo will indeed change your perception of buses for city commuting. I just wish there were more Volvo’s along more routes in the city, until then though, we can dream, can’t we?

The website www.hindu.com has carried an article about KSRTC may divert long-distance buses through NH bypass . The site says that...........

The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is considering a proposal to divert through the Edapally-Vytilla bypass around 50 per cent of superfast buses that currently pass through the congested western parts of the city and West Kochi.

Once implemented, long-distance passengers and the RTC would save about an hour and a half during each trip. There would be huge savings on fuel wasted in traffic snarls and the money spent on wear and tear of the buses too. “We will also be able to save Rs. 3 lakh that has to be paid each month as toll for the buses using the Mattancherry BOT bridge, at the rate of Rs. 10,000 per day,” said a high-ranking RTC official.

As of now, over 500 superfast, fast passenger and mofussil buses operate to the RTC’s main bus station, while another set of buses operates 300 short trips to its boat jetty bus stand. The diversion of a sizeable share of the long-distance buses from Edapally through Vytilla and Kundanoor will reduce traffic congestion along the arterial Edapally-M.G. Road-Thopumpady route.

This will pave the way for a superfast bus to pass along Vytilla every 15 minutes. The KSRTC will have to build infrastructure facilities like temporary parking areas for the buses and a shelter for passengers awaiting the buses.

At present, the KSRTC station master’s office functions from a tiny room located on the southern side of the Vytilla junction. Passengers have to wait under the sun, waiting for the few RTC buses that ply through the area.

An official said that short-distance services can be put into service on the Thopumpady-Alappuzha route, to compensate for the fall in number of buses passing through West Kochi once superfast buses are diverted through the bypass. More buses along the bypass will also provide relief to regular passengers, many of whom now hitch a ride in taxi cars and goods carriers from Vytilla to reach Cherthala and Alappuzha. Diverting long-distance buses through the bypass will become inevitable once an integrated bus terminal comes up in the proposed Vytilla mobility hub.

The first batch of low-floor buses will hit the city streets shortly. The routes for the buses, which are likely to come down from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram before the end of next month, are currently being finalised by the City Corporation.


It’s as part of the Urban Transport System under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission that the City Corporation had decided to roll out low-floor buses in the city. The Corporation has teamed up with the LSG Department and KSRTC to make the project work.


A tentative list of bus routes which had been proposed by the KSRTC was handed over to the Corporation by the LSG Department. The LSG Department had given the Corporation a period of three days to come up with suggestions on routes and convey its decision to the KSRTC.


The Corporation Council, on Thursday, approved the tentative list, which was handed over by the LSG Department. The proposed routes start from the city and extend to the outskirts.


The Thiruvananthapuram-Kovalam bus will take off from East Fort and take the route of Kamaleswaram- Thiruvallom- Pachalloor- Vazhamuttom-Kovalam. Another route proposed is East Fort- Kamaleswaram-Thiruvallom- Bypass- Kovalam.


The Thiruvananthapuram-Veli bus will ply the East Fort- Statue-Palayam- Pettah- Chackai- Shangumughom- Vettucaud- Veli route. Another bus will deviate from Chackai- All Saints’ College Road to Madhavapuram -Veli.


Two routes have been proposed for buses on the Thiruvananthapuram- Technopark stretch, touching East Fort, Statue, Palayam, Pettah, Chackai Bypass and also via Palayam, Pattom, Kesavadasapuram, Ulloor and Sreekariam to reach Technopark.


Buses will also ply from Thiruvananthapuram to Venjaramoodu through Mannanthala and Vembayam.


The Thiruvananthapuram-Neyyanttinkara bus will take two routes, one via Karamana-Balaramapuram and the other along Thiruvallom- Kakkamoola- Peringamala- Vedivachankovil- Balaramapuram- Neyyattinkara.





Buses will also do their rounds to Puthenthope, Nedumangad, Pothencode and Kaniyapuram.


The KSRTC had placed orders for 30 low-floor A/C buses and 120 semi-low-floor non-A/C buses for Thiruvananthapuram. The low-floor buses are expected to reach the city with fully-built body and interiors.


Mayor C. Jayan Babu said that decisions regarding the ticket rates or the other details regarding


the low-floor buses are yet to be taken.


“A separate wing needs to be set up to run the buses, as the Corporation lacks expertise in the area,’’ Jayan Babu said. This system will be put in place jointly by the KSRTC, City Corporation and the LSG Department.


The buses are ready in Bangalore and a team of Corporation employees have been given training in driving the vehicles, an official said.

Time	From	To	Type	Via	Fare
15.20	Ernakulam	Bangalore	S.Express	Palakkad, Salem	285
17.00	Thiruvalla*	Bangalore	S.Deluxe	Palakkad, Salem	380
18.00	Ernakulam	Bangalore	S.Deluxe	Nilambur, Mysore	408
.	.	Mysore	.	.	283
19.0	Ernakulam	Bangalore	Ac	Kozhikode, Mysore	549
		Mysore	.	.	399
21.15	Ernakulam	Bangalore	Ac	Kozhikode, Mysore	549
07.00	Ernakulam	Palani	S.Exprss	Palakkad	154
19.45	Ernakulam	Madurai	SF	Theni	168
.	.	Theni	.	.	142
		AC Buses
Time	From	To	Type	PhoneNo.	Fare
07.00	Ernakulam	Thiruvananthapuram	Volvo	9447577119	246
11.00	Kozhikkode	Thiruvananthapuram	Ac	9447577122	191
18.15	Palakkad	Thiruvananthapuram	Ac	9447577112	191
10.40	Thiruvananthapuram	Palakkad	Ac	9447577112	131
22.00	Thiruvananthapuram	Kozhikkode	Ac	9447577122	191
	Towards	Coimbatore
Time	From	To	Type
00.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
02.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
04.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
06.00	Ernakulam	Coimbatore	SF
07.30	Alappuzha	Coimbatore	SF
08.00	Cherthala	Coimbatore	SF
09.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
09.40	Kayamkulam	Coimbatore	SF
12.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
14.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
16.30	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF
17.00	Thiruvalla*	Bangalore	S.Dlx
22.50	Thiruvananthapuram	Coimbatore	SF

The Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram trwill take only four hours.