[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by babu.sundaram

Took sleeper bus just once, in the last higher (cross) seat (bed?!) in a B7R just once from Chennai to Bangalore. Despite being on GQ all the way, there was eerie floating / unstable feeling throughout. It took a minute to stand on stable floor after getting down (don't know if this is motion sickness, but didnt get it in anything else, even on flight / train!). Finally, the narrow gangway scared me and keeping me away from even thinking of any such option!

who is the operator?
In Volvo at times the sleepers are made very cramped with reduced head room. If head room is maintained the berths at the rear end has reduced space between saloon floor and lower berth making the passenger feel as if they are lying in the floor with a bed on it.

[babu.sundaram]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

who is the operator?
In Volvo at times the sleepers are made very cramped with reduced head room. If head room is maintained the berths at the rear end has reduced space between saloon floor and lower berth making the passenger feel as if they are lying in the floor with a bed on it.

Sir, iirc, it was Shama (Sardar) Travels (bus started from their office opposite to Chennai Central), few years back. You are right, I got upper sleeper, it had very less headroom and claustrophobic.

[esteem_lover]

I too travelled in a KPN sleeper in the night when the 26/11 attacks at Mumbai were happening. I, as a sleeping passenger did not feel anything different from a seater bus except that I could roll up and sleep. Coming to the COG part, all the sleeper buses that I have seen are visually the same height as that of a luggage loaded seater bus (not the luggage at the top, I meant the luggage bay under the seats). As far as I know, it does not make any difference if it is a sleeper or a seater, it is the dimensions and weight distribution in a bus coupled with a decent or reckless driver.

The one thing I hate about these non AC sleeper buses is the folks who lie around and keep peeping about (they have no option) even though they are inside the city.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by VeluM

In this incident, I think the passenger would have been sleeping with his head towards the front of the bus. The rate of deceleration is generally much greater than acceleration, so one must always lie with ones head towards the rear of the bus. This should be part of the instructions provided to passengers at boarding.

In a sudden braking, head in the direction of the bus is dangerous.
In a head-on collision, head against the direction of the bus is dangerous.

So in either way, sleeper buses are not safe.

[swarnava.m]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

In a sudden braking, head in the direction of the bus is dangerous.
In a head-on collision, head against the direction of the bus is dangerous.

So in either way, sleeper buses are not safe.

I don't quite understand. Sudden braking or head-on collision, the scenario would be the same right? Both would result in massive deceleration, and hence the tendency to get thrown towards the front side of the bus, ie. the direction in which the bus was moving.

So I believe safest would be to have the head towards the rear of the bus, as mentioned in previous posts.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by swarnava.m

I don't quite understand. Sudden braking or head-on collision, the scenario would be the same right?

I failed to put it this way: in a head on-collision, if an oncoming heavy vehicle's speed is high, the bus will be pushed back right?

[swarnava.m]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

I failed to put it this way: in a head on-collision, if an oncoming heavy vehicle's speed is high, the bus will be pushed back right?

True. But the initial movement would be towards the front rather than towards the back. It's due to the inertia.

At the instance of a head-on collision, the body's momentum would be in the direction of the bus. Hence at the moment of collision, the bus would experience massive deceleration, but the body would not. Thus, it will tend to go towards the front of the bus rather than the rear.

Secondary movement would be towards the rear, as you mentioned, but compared to the impact created by the inertia in the opposite direction that has already happened, this would be hardly anything. Its magnitude will be too less to cause any damage that has not been caused by the initial impact.

[coolmel]

Being 6 feet, sleeping away is a problem in train as well as these ac buses. Have traveled by the regular Volvo's and prefer doing a day journey when the options are exhausted. The sleeper buses are a major cause of concern, especially the exit doors in case of an emergency.

I would rather vouch for a seater bus with extended leg room.

[GullwingGT]

I have traveled twice,hated both the times being over 6 foot it makes the journey largely uncomfortable.So prefer Volvo's any day even over trains.Somehow I feel it's not great to travel in sleeper coaches especially if there is any emergency situations.

[malq]

Used a NEETA double axle sleeper bus in the 2+1 configuration on the Pune - Panaji route once, earlier this year, and never again. Managed to get some sleep till Kolhapur, after that the road condition was what it is (varying) and just could not sleep. Would prefer a reclining seat with more leg room and space for day or night bus journeys any day where the road conditions are not smooth.

The "Neeta Experience", ofcourse, would be something else again.

[W.A.G.7]

Nice insight on sleeper coach buses, which gets you thinking. I have never travelled on a sleeper coach bus, so I can't comment on the state of these buses. But I have seen them, they pack people to the dozen even when the bus if full. And looking at the open windows without any grills, I am amazed how people don't fall out of the upper level windows when these buses turn hard on curves

Personally I prefer to use Indian Railways for long distance journeys, much better, especially garib raths.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

There is a Supreme court ruling which strictly prohibits loading luggage onto roof top

If they don't put the luggage on the top, then where do they put it in a sleeper coach bus? Is there enough place between the wheels to accomodate the luggage as well as the lower berths/seats of passengers? If that's the case, wouldn't loading the luggage between the wheels add more weight to the lower levels of the bus ? (and thus reduce the centre of gravity of the bus?)

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

And looking at the open windows without any grills, I am amazed how people don't fall out of the upper level windows when these buses turn hard on curves

Personally I prefer to use Indian Railways for long distance journeys, much better, especially garib raths.

(and thus reduce the centre of gravity of the bus?)

1. +1 so am I too! I feel aircrafts with open doors are much safer than these buses

2. I prefer to drive the whole distance or take the railways.

3. Bhai, even if you manage to bring your C.G so low that its literally on the road, still there are drivers in our bus transport system who will manage to turn it turtle.

I sincerely hope that ARAI/ Govt. agency intervenes at the earliest and formulate a rule to avoid more of such mushroom buses causing bulk reduction in population.

[Thilak29]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

If they don't put the luggage on the top, then where do they put it in a sleeper coach bus? Is there enough place between the wheels to accomodate the luggage as well as the lower berths/seats of passengers? If that's the case, wouldn't loading the luggage between the wheels add more weight to the lower levels of the bus ? (and thus reduce the centre of gravity of the bus?)

When I mentioned luggage I did not mean couple of wheeled suitcases or thin handbags, they use Bus to move commercial goods (e.g heavy hardware parts) and I have seen the way they load it and wrap it with ropes,just scary to say the least.

There are two main reasons:
1 - It works out cheaper than cargo service.
2 - Since buses run daily to remote places delivery time is least but in case of cargo trucks they would do only couple of trips to remote places.

Traveler luggage hardly makes it to the roof, they would be placed either under seats or beneath compartments.

This image might give you sort of idea (Sorry about low res image,this is the best i could find)

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

This image might give you sort of idea (Sorry about low res image,this is the best i could find)

This image will articulate your views further:

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

This image might give you sort of idea (Sorry about low res image,this is the best i could find)

Some more here.

i had one travel in Lucky travels in Madurai-Kozhikode-Madurai in a weekend. They loaded the luggage heavily on the roof. Ticket fare was was around Rs.350.