[TKMCE]

Starting a thread on the airport to city public transport options now that in a few cities in India these have developed into a viable alternative to Taxis . I used National Express extensively in UK to get to the airports during my stint there.

BANGALORE

Very well documented already in these forums. BMTC volvos are very efficient. Have used them extensively and find that their service is very good and prompt at all hours especially if you are in Hebbal or Mekhri circle area, First bus if I remember reaches Mekhri Circle at around 4 AM and even on delayed flights arriving late at night, getting buses to Mekhri Circle and Majestic are not a problem.

Some bus stops are very isolated and not very safe at night (eg Hebbal -outside Esteem Mall). Also late evening/early morning, the only reliable service is to KBS (Majestic) via Hebbal and Mekhri Circle.

Another issue I have noted is that the airport coaches allow intra city pax upto Hebbal. This is a security issue (for luggage etc) as I have seen buses from the Airport to HSR getting crowded from Hebbal onwards and in many cases with the luggage racks being in the centre of the coach, this can be a problem.

Overall a very reliable service.

KOCHI

Not many people are aware that there is now a prety reliable Volvo service by KeSRTC from around 7 AM to 9 PM from the airport terminal. Early morning/late evening services have a gap of around 1 hour while other times there is a bus leaving every half an hour.

These Volvos are the normal JnURM Volvos (no luggage racks like in BMTC) hence not very suitable f you have lots of luggage. Bus stop is just outside the domestic arrivals and there is a sign board with the timings. In case the next bus is after an hour and there are delayed flights arriving shortly after the scheduled departure time of the earlier bus, the earlier bus generally waits.

Most of the buses run from Airport to Fort Kochi but with the exception of very few, most does not touch any railway station enroute (Aluva/Ernakulam North and Sourth) and they take the Aluva Bye Pass, Edappally Byepass/Vytilla/Kundannur route.

Fares are dirt cheap compared to Bangalore- Fort Kochi to Airport is Rs 60 when I last travelled. Not bad option as the buses stop at most of the regular stops.

There are also a few ordinary buses to places like Chalakkudy or Cherthala but they are not useful in anyway.

[binaiks]

I maintain a website with the timings of Volvo buses being run in Kochi. This website received the recognition of quoted by a reputed newspaper while publishing an article on Low-Floor buses in Kochi.

Please visit this link for timings of the buses from Cochin International Airport. (I have no commercial gains from this website).

[TKMCE]

Thanks Binai

Most useful. Went through your website and found in the fleet list JNK 41 on Kalady-Airport-Fort Kochi. Is this bus running and if so what are the timings as this this will be the only link to Angamaly (Volvo) from the airport. THis launch was reported in local newspapers but I have not seen this bus passing rhough Aluva or the airport.


Kochi airport is a shame in terms of public transport access. Wen you could so easily have a railway station in the periphery, instead you dont even have a proper bus connection.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

Most useful. Went through your website and found in the fleet list JNK 41 on Kalady-Airport-Fort Kochi. Is this bus running and if so what are the timings as this this will be the only link to Angamaly (Volvo) from the airport. THis launch was reported in local newspapers but I have not seen this bus passing rhough Aluva or the airport.

I am not really sure if the Kalady service is still running - about 5 buses are parked in the depot due to maintenance reasons. Due to poor revenue, KeSRTC isn't very excited to get them back on the road.

The Kalady-Fort Kochi Volvo does not go to Angamaly - it takes off MC road, and directly reaches the Airport.

I don't have specific timings the bus passes via Airport. The bus makes only two trips to Kalady - one in the morning and one at evening. The other trips are Airport-Fort Kochi.

[TKMCE]

Poor revenue for Volvos in Kochi???

The number of times I have had to convince my teeny bopper that travelling by Volvo is waste of money if he and me have to stand all the way is only increasing every month

Seriously the main Aluva Ernakulam/Fort Kochi route is almost always full both via Kaloor and Vytilla.

The empty routes I see are Aluva Parur , Aluva Perumbavoor, Kothamagalam and between Aluva and Angamaly and also the Vytilla-Vytilla service,

Aluva Parur low floor non ac has high patronage though,

Anyway I deviate. A few of the Volvos should be routed through Airport to Angamaly. While Kalady is also in MC road, it is next to impossible to get onward connections from there. The taxi rates to/from Kochi are a rip off.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

Seriously the main Aluva Ernakulam/Fort Kochi route is almost always full both via Kaloor and Vytilla.

The problem here is that intervention from politicians made KSRTC run them on mofussil routes - the buses run to Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and Koothattukulam. Out of these, Muvattupuzha has fairly decent ridership, while the remaining goes mostly empty.

Because of these routes, the overall revenue is on the downward spiral. The authorities concerned agree that Aluva-Kaloor section is the most profitable. They want to run more services on this route. I hope they revise routes and send more on this route.

Originally Posted by TKMCE

Aluva Parur low floor non ac has high patronage though,

That has a reason - they cancelled a lot of ordinary buses and replaced them with these low-floors! So passengers really do not have much of a choice!

[TKMCE]

Continuing with the main thread

TRIVANDRUM

KeSRTC is supposed to have low floor Volvos from the airport from 6 AM till night during hourly/two hourly intervals to East Fort and some continue to Kowdiar/Sasthamangalam covering most part of the city and the main hotels.

Never used this service - anyone can confirm whether these operate???

Unlike Kochi, Trivandrum airport is not too far form the town so these services many not have too much patronage - but I am taking a guess.

[deepclutch]

Are There KSRTC Buses(Chain Services) serving through MC Road to Nedumbassery(CIAL) Airport? I don't find any Buses in this route recently. the only way is to alight at Mattur Jn and hire taxis to airport. I wondered, if they could put some of the Non A/C low floor buses from Perumbavur and Muvattupuzha to Airport route.

[mgh]

Adding a note on Bangalore, for non-bangaloreans
1. From airport to city- buses will stop wherever you ask them on the route.
For one of our friends, it is right opposite their house
2. From city to airport- buses stop only at designated stops. you need to make arrangements to get to a suitable stop. The same friends need to go more than a km to a bus stop.
Late at night till early morning, you would be better off taking a cab or your own transport.
For international flights, which are mostly early mornings, you can get dropped to a bus stop, if you are leaving. If you are coming, cabs (the authorised ones) would be abetter solution or your own transport.

Pl note that getting cabs from the airport is not a problem. For going to the airport, people have occasionally been let down by the cab companies, when they have booked personally. If you are at hotel and booked a cab through them, there won't be a problem.

[srikanthns]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

Continuing with the main thread

TRIVANDRUM

Never used this service - anyone can confirm whether these operate???

Unlike Kochi, Trivandrum airport is not too far form the town so these services many not have too much patronage - but I am taking a guess.

Patronage would have been there if it was allowed to run. The Taxiwallahs there raised such a ruckus that it was dead before it began.
I have not seen a single bus coming into the airport. No body can expect passenger to lug the luggage to outside the Airport gate ( some 300m) to board low floor buses which ply on regular routes. This is the case both in the domestic and new International terminal too.

[TKMCE]

Originally Posted by deepclutch

Are There KSRTC Buses(Chain Services) serving through MC Road to Nedumbassery(CIAL) Airport? I don't find any Buses in this route recently. the only way is to alight at Mattur Jn and hire taxis to airport. I wondered, if they could put some of the Non A/C low floor buses from Perumbavur and Muvattupuzha to Airport route.

There are none. There are couple of ordinary buses to Ankamaly and a few buses to Chalakudy and one to Vaikom but even that one AFAIK know goes via NH.

COK airport cries out for public transport access. A few months back during E Ahmed's time as railway minister they laid the foundation stone for a railway station (which should have been done at the time of the starting the airport itself if you ask) but nothing further has been heard on that either and the minister in question has moved back to his old portfolio.

Sad to hear about the Trivandrum KeSRTC service, but atleast the airport is not too far form the town unlike Kochi and Kozhikode.

CHENNAI earlier used to have a rattle trap mini bus service by the local transport corporation, It was cheap but the vehicles were horrible. Again there also taxiwallahs seems to have won the day and it is no longer operarting to the best of my knowledge.

COIMBATORE again has no airport service to my knowlwdge. Th taxis were chargimg about 250-300 to Gandhipuram.

MUMBAI has a few BEST services coming into the domestic terminal but I guess it is for eveyone EXCEPT the air traveller as no no way you can get in with any luggage in these buses.

[bblost]

Hyderabad

Everything you need to know.
To and from airport, Airport Transportation of Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport


I have used these buses and find them very good.

[FanaticOnWheels]

Adding to the above post, I'm a newcomer to Hyderabad, and I travel frequently. I've found the aeroexpress service to be excellent. They not only keep up the timings mentioned on their website, but are quite comfortable, and reasonable in terms of fares as well. A complete no-nonsense service. Just pay 180/-, and enjoy the 1 hour drive to the airport, and you are dropped right in front of the departure gate.

The only annoying thing is the cab wallahs standing standing outside the bus stops, who try to get a customer by berating the service. I've heard stories like, saar, this bus will take 2.5 hours to reach the airport. One should steer clear of them.

[TKMCE]

Kochi KeSRTC service from the airport is now getting too good. Used them yesterday as well., Flight landed at 12.15, my bags were out by 12.30 and just as I got out of the terminal, one of the Volvos was leaving. Had luggage, no issues - conductor asked them to put it in the centre section and in 10 min and a for a princely sum of 14 Rs I got down at the suburbs of Aluva!!! The next Volvo at 1300 was already pulling in when my bus left. There were about 20 people and more would have got in on the next service as another couple of flight was due to land soon after. A pity that they are facing opposition in Trivandrum although their service from Kochuveli railway station which i have used is a big blessing. I used the service connecting to the GR from BLR, but I understand a service meets the trains which arrives early morning around 4 AM.

[TKMCE]

Today I saw the worst of Kochi Airport and its services to the public. My regular flight from Mumbai was rescheduled by 2 hours with a scheduled arrival of 1.45 PM. Due to air traffic congestion at Mumbai, the flight finally took of only around 12.30. This also meant I was out of the terminal only at 2.15 and the 2 PM KeSRTC Volvo had left Next one was due only around 3.30 (since there are hardly any other domestic departures during this period) so I had to depend on taxi/auto.

I was told by airport security that while autos may drop people in the terminal, they are not allowed to pick up pax FROM the terminal (Due to objections from taxi drivers). So alternative was to walk nearly a km to the exit or go prepaid which quoted an exhorbitant 350 Rs for a distance of barely 10 KM. Luckily I didnt have heavy bags and walked to the exit and found an Auto who charged 14 Rs a Km- standard practice in suburbs as they charge up and down rates. The auto driver was from the local auto stand and was relating the whole story, how the taxi guys are harrasing everyone in sight, how they managed to get a court order in their favor (to keep the autos away) and how auto drivers are threatened with contempt of court if they pick up pax from the terminal.

He was saying around 45 autos were plying in the local stand till this new court order and now there is barely 15 left because of this development as people will find it difficult to walk about a km with luggage to catch an auto. So most arriving travellers either succumb to the taxi racket (and according to the auto guy Rs 350 is the MINIMUM CHARGE even if you are going to a hotel 1 km away!) or most locals arrange to be picked up by private vehicles.

Full marks to Cochin International Airport Limited - CIAL- You really will win awards for any GO GREEN intitiatives with such acts. Sad since not many people know that many ordinary people slogging in the gulf (and not just the few cash rich NRI businessmen who are are honoured by govt of India for "services to the nation" every year) are small shareholders in the very same airport !!! Also a hefty user development fee was charged when the airport inititally started. And is this the sevice to the public people get in return???

Did some research in the CIAL website and apparently Cochin Airport taxi drivers are following an interesting pricing strategy!!! ! Minimum charge for any trip is that for 20 kms!!! So what should be followed by KeSRTC is what is instead followed by Kochi Airport Taxi Drivers Union!!! So if you are planning to stay in any airport hotel in Kochi better ask for a complimentary pick up - unless you want to pay 350 Rs for 1 Km!!!


And regarding the KeSRTC Volvo service - by running it in such a way that it doesnt benefit most locals by not touching Aluva or EKM railway stations (on most services), the biggest beneficiaries are foreigners going to Fort Kochi who pay a grand sum of 80Rs and happily dodge the airport taxi racket (who charge 720)and enjoy the state subsidised transport. I find the service useful , but I will also happily pay 100 Rs for the 10 km to the stop near my home instead of the princely sum of 14Rs KeSRTC currently charges!!!!

Way to go CIAL and KeSRTC!!!!

Take a lesson from BMTC where pricing is competitve and at the same time not exhorbitant or Delhi where GMR while not allowing autos inside has a free transfer service from the drop off point (the airport also has buses to Delhi coming inside the terminal not to speak of the airport express metro).