[npawan29]

Hi, this is a good review, just that I feel GSRTC is way behind, KSRTC started Volvo/Benz domestic, inter, intra state, in-city more than a decade back.

I am new on the forum, please correct any errors in quoting a post.

One request is to edit the pic before they are posted for eg in the above pic you see a huge part of the pavement in pic, the same pic without it would make a huge difference.

[shenoyshrikants]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Volvo AC Seater

• White
• stock construction by Volvo
• 9400 series with one axle at the rear
• 46 recliner seats in a 2+2 formation

These Volvo seater buses are on wet lease from a private player in MH (Konduskar) who owns these buses, operate as well as maintains them. GSRTC pays them based on per km charges subject to minimum daily kms commitment and the private player is expected to maintain the standards as set in the agreement (punctuality, route adherence, cleanliness, etc.).

[porsche_guy]

Originally Posted by shenoyshrikants

These Volvo seater buses are on wet lease from a private player in MH (Konduskar) who owns these buses, operate as well as maintains them. GSRTC pays them based on per km charges subject to minimum daily kms commitment and the private player is expected to maintain the standards as set in the agreement (punctuality, route adherence, cleanliness, etc.).

Doesn't seem like it. These buses are registered to one Chartered Speed Ltd based out of Ahmedabad.

[shenoyshrikants]

Originally Posted by porsche_guy

Doesn't seem like it. These buses are registered to one Chartered Speed Ltd based out of Ahmedabad.

Yes, Chartered Speed is another vendor from whom GSRTC has been leasing buses. This is a widely adopted practice now a days from all SRTCs as well as City Bus undertakings where instead of buying and maintaining buses, they take them on wet lease. What vendor gets is a guaranteed revenue on the minimum committed kms of daily runs while the SRTC benefits from not having to worry about buying and maintaining buses. Lessor needs to ensure bus availability and punctuality as per service level agreements.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by vigsom

- My first ride in a renewed GSRTC was by a Volvo seater sometime in Sep-2018,
- acknowledging the efforts of those countless crew members, workshops, and support staff that keep the wheels of transport corporations moving

Rode a GSRTC Volvo again this afternoon after close to two years. The 2018 manufactured bus was in excellent shape for a 5,89,000km done example. I acknowledge that 5,89,000km is nothing for a Volvo but still. Except some suspension rattles, the bus was fantastic. What amazed me was how neat the dashboard was - this is one area which wears out with time as the crew doesn't take good care of it. I've observed how a now non-existent private operator in TN would drill holes and add some unnecessary switches on the dashboard, and make the bus look crude.

Before the bus departed, I saw a staff member doing an inspection - of the engine bay, tyres, brakes, warnings on the dashboard and the like. The bus left on dot at 2pm and I was in my destination bang on time.

The clean dashboard - almost stock


Navigating slow moving trucks in all three lanes


The odo reading


The Tapti


The Narmada

[porsche_guy]

Experience with the newly added Electric AC buses


source

Back in August 2021, BYD-Olectra announced that they had won the bid to supply 50 electric buses to GSRTC. Now this wasn't all that surprising considering how various state transport corporations are trying to "Go Green" for the lower costs and better public perception, but it definitely made me intrigued with their applications in this specific case.

The first batch of a few buses were delivered by March this year and two of those put on experimental basis for the Vadodara-Ahmedabad sector. As soon as I read this news I wanted to try them but the uncertainty over schedules and lack of reservation facilities made me nervous to try it out. Now, finally GSRTC has inducted these buses properly and they now offer 4 schedules both ways between Vadodara and Ahmedabad and I decided to give it a shot.

About the buses


The buses are made by Olectra in partnership with chinese EV giant BYD. The model used here is the K7D in the nine metre length. The bus seats about 33 people and comes with facilities such as USB charging. The fare is priced a good 70-80 bucks lower than comparable Volvo fares. They are painted in a bright orange colour and procured under the FAME II scheme of the central government.

My Experience


On first impressions, the bus looked quite tiny in front of the mighty AL Vikings and Volvo 9400s that stood besides and with reason. This was a semi-low floor bus and quite short as well. As you climb inside you are treated to grey interiors with dull blue seats. Do note that there is no centre armrest here. Interestingly enough, the seats are not all at the same level and depending on your luck, you might get underseat storage or not.

Another peculiar flaw I noticed was the seat numbers were totally different from those shown while booking your ticket so whereas I had booked a first row seat, it turned out it was actually the last one. The parcel shelf is also incredibly tiny and good for nothing more than a small camera bag.


On the plus side, the interiors did look reasonably modern and being brand new, were spotless and neat(although I'm afraid that would change soon). The lack of luggage space and useless parcel shelf also meant that passengers had no choice but to dump their bags besides the emergency exit which can be extremely dangerous.

Once everybody was seated, the bus started moving and almost immediately you notice the NVH(rather the absence of it) and brisk acceleration. It was a boon to not be sitting on top of a vibey diesel engine like the Volvos and be freed from the incessant engine lugging done by Volvo drivers. The compact dimensions also meant a more effortless exit out of the busy roads of old Ahmedabad. The absence of a gearbox also plays excellently and allows the bus to build up speed without any hesitation. The air suspension came as a blessing in disguise over potholes and I actually felt it to be tuned better than the 9400s.

Out on the expressway, it was doing the standard 75-80kmph speeds as is the limit governed for commercial vehicles. At this speed, it was comfortable and silent which would ordinarily mean a peaceful power nap if only for the cramped interiors and luggage strewn around. Another interesting thing I noticed was that people often didn't realise the bus was behind them(due to the silent powertrain) and hence the horn had to be generously used.

While we didn't arrive on time as expected, I wouldn't blame the bus for it since we were stuck in an unusual traffic jam for quite a while.

Overall impressions are that the Bus is quite good, genuinely so but very much unsuited to this route and use case. It will be excellent in other profiles like school buses and intra-city duties but otherwise, it's only worth the novelty of travelling in it. It truly boggles me about how the authorities couldn't choose a better suited model for this application.

Would I take it again? Perhaps, no. Would I recommend it? For the novelty, yes. Although the Volvo is just more practical and that's that. I would definitely prefer paying the premium for it but don't regret trying the EV either. It was a fun journey and a new experience. Lesson learnt I guess.

PS. Sorry for the poor pics, was in a hurry and could not get them in daylight.

[RRM]

Thanks for this post. Bangalore BMTC has started city electric buses and it is seriously quiet. I went past it in 2w and it was dead silent except for some clanks. Haven’t seen any long distance electric buses yet. Might be planned for near future.

It will take sometime for people to get used to the silence. Hopefully the flaws will get resolved in subsequent version

[impala]

Originally Posted by RRM

Thanks for this post. Bangalore BMTC has started city electric buses and it is seriously quiet.

A funny thing about the Lilac colored BMTC electric buses is that it's front looks very similar to the rear of the buses one may be familiar with. Once I was entering the ORR from a service road and for a moment I felt a bus is reversing in wrong direction towards me, in the ORVM. They have puny vertically stacked headlights and the taller AC unit in the front.

See this tweet for a graphical representation of these buses.

[mac187]

I had the opportunity to ride in one of these back in 2016 during a visit to client office. This was essentially their office bus to pick-up and drop employees. That bus was a low floor model and had a small luggage space on the side. The interiors were sparse, I felt the seat cushion was really thin. I chalked it out to weight reduction.

Overall, it can be a competent replacement for aging fleets in our state transport. It will need good amount of testing to handle our "roads" and typical over crowding of the bus and the adverse reaction on the batteries. Last thing you need is a over heated bus coming to a halt on a flyover or main road and bringing traffic to a stand still.

[shresan23]

Very nice review. It surely is a good initiative by the GSRTC. I am just intrigued about the range of those buses and how economically viable they are. Are there any fast charging points on the way? Sure, this could be implemented everywhere, i just feel that it is best to replace the city buses with the electric ones rather that the inter city buses.

[manjubp]

We are planning for a visit to Gujrat. Port of entry and exit to Gujrat is Ahmedabad(AMD). However we are visiting Dwarka and Somnath. Unfortunately the all our train bookings are in WLs(Multiple of them) and we are unable to find any overnight Volvo/Benz bus service between Ahmedabad --> Dwarka and Somnath/Veraval --> Ahmedabad.

Any help/pomters would be appreciated interms of pointing to Volvo bus service.

[First God]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Category-wise experience

I had one question regarding these Buses, are all of these buses [Regular, Express, Gurjarnagari, Sleeper+Seater] coach built by inhouse workshops or by private coach builders like Azad, MG. In wikipedia they mention that in 2018 they had a centralized workshop in Ahmedabad however there's no information where and how they used to build bus coaches before 2018

[porsche_guy]

Experiencing the newly-inducted GSRTC Volvo 9600 coaches


It's been a while since the "premium" buses of GSRTC got any updates. The older Volvo 9400s were starting the get tired and while they were still reasonably clean, they were starting to age; the seat foam had started to degrade, the engines were loud and small things such as some AC vents and charging ports were broken. Thankfully, someone in the powers that be noticed it and decided to replace the fleet with these new Volvo 9600 models. I was eyeing them since few months for my weekend up-down commutes and finally got an opportunity to try it last weekend. Do note that this wasn't my first experience with the 9600 as one was showcased at the Auto Expo 2023 and I got to thoroughly check it out. However, that was a VIP-configuration which was not really indicative of the real life experience.

Pros
+ Lower NVH levels
+ Better, fatter seats
+ Contemporary styling
+ Smaller touches like USB-C charging ports, rounded edges for the luggage door
+ Sorted ride quality

Cons
- Some head-scratching ergonomic decisions
- No handles on top of partition for first row
- Not a fan of the new livery



From the outside, the Volvo 9600 in itself is a pretty design. Typically subtle as with Volvo designs but at the same time it looks a lot more contemporary than the 9400. The DRLs do play a part in making it look dashing along with the unique tail lamp design with a very unique wraparound 3D shape. However, I am not a huge fan of this new livery and prefer the older plain-white design.

Observant readers would notice the absence of the signature "kink" towards the rear of the roofline but that's down to the fact that it is only available with the sleeper variants to increase the vertical space.

Inside, there is a refreshing change of colours used. The dashboard is now finished in white plastic and protrudes out a bit more to be angled towards the driver. There is also a new door panel with cupholders for the driver. Immediately as I climbed up the steps, I noticed that you sit a bit higher in this bus, perhaps by a foot or so.

Talking of the seat itself, the new ones have a thicker foam, slightly better under thigh support along with very useful winged headrests. Over the journey of 2.5-3 odd hours, I felt that these were certainly more supportive overall. What also helps enhance the comfort is the stronger AC (although this could just have been because of the age factor) and crucially, darker curtains which make a massive difference to the cooling. What I did not enjoy about the seating experience was the placement of charging ports; instead of being under the centre armrest, they have now been moved lower down on the side panel which makes them pretty much useless for aisle occupants. Quite a shame considering now you get double the amount of charging ports, half of them being the USB-C type. Bizzarely, the footrest now comes as a single unit for both passengers and loses the adjustability.

Coming to the ride itself, the engine fires up smoothly and NVH is greatly improved. There are hardly any vibrations felt and only a very slight turbo whine makes its presence known inside. The air suspension has also been retuned to offer a smoother and more rounded off experience. Then there are the other small touches as well, like the luggage doors now have curved edges at the bottom which feel much better to use and reduce the risk of cutting yourself accidentally(yes they really were that sharp on the 9400s). Overall, this is certainly a better experience barring a few misses. I hope these are maintained well by the new operator (Aadinath Bulk Pvt Ltd). Do note that all the buses have not delivered yet and the fleet is currently a mix of these as well as the older 9400s still being run by the older operator Chartered Speed Pvt Ltd.

Some pictures below:

New headlights give the design a lot of character; low mounted placement and larger size is concerning given they can easily shatter due to small hits. Do note that these are reflector halogen units, a departure from the projectors on 9400


Driver's cockpit. The dashboard is more angular and now comes finished in white


Comfy seats with darker curtains make the journey more comfortable


The 'modern' but inconvenient charging ports


Wood panelling inside looks quite premium but don't know how long it will last


Overhead panel with AC vents, reading lamps and emergency stop button. Note the metal tubing for the fire suppression system


A view of the legroom


Front seat. No provision to grab anything


Taller steps make the climb harder for senior citizens. A metal bar has been provided for support


Footrests come as joint units and are no longer adjustable

[vigsom]

1. GSRTC's Volvo service enjoys huge patronage and is convenient for a) those wanting to take an unplanned ride and b) folks wanting to travel from that side of Ahmedabad (Nehrunagar and thereabouts).Tickets on trains aren't easy to come by for last minute planners.
2. Ride time from Nehrunagar to
a) Vadodara would range from 2 hours (zero traffic early morning) to 3 hours (peak crazy Ahmedabad traffic)
b) Surat via Vadodara Bus Depot would easily touch 6 and a quarter hours
c) Surat via Vadodara bypass would be in the 5 hours 45 min range
3. Fares are about as much as AC Chair Car by a superfast express train

Despite this service taking longer than a train ride, I can vouch for the extremely comfortable and "engaging" experience - engaging if one is seated in one of the front rows. Riding on NH48 requires weaving in and out of lanes.

Originally Posted by porsche_guy

am not a huge fan of this new livery and prefer the older plain-white design

+100; the blue pattern at the rear with that light red wing pattern could have plainly been avoided. The GSRTC logo looks nice though

The dashboard is now finished in white plastic and protrudes out a bit more to be angled towards the driver

Like the KSRTC Ambaari Utsav and all other 9600s series buses

From KSRTC's Ambaari Utsav with the i-shift transmission


From the GSRTC 9600 seater with manual transmission

noticed that you sit a bit higher in this bus, perhaps by a foot or so

Agree; I took a very brief ride in a Volvo 9600 seater in Jaipur earlier this year and did feel in high places

hope these are maintained well by the new operator (Aadinath Bulk Pvt Ltd.)

Fingers crossed. I have travelled so many times on the Surat-Vadodara, Vadodara - Ahmedabad, and Ahmedabad - Surat sectors by the erstwhile 9400s operated by Chartered. Must compliment them for their by and large good upkeep of these buses and never giving a feel that they are an "ST" offering.

[sapien]

For me a volvo bus quintessentially means the 9400, it has that understated headlamp design which is timeless. I recently did a Delhi Himachal overnight trip in a 10+ years old HRTC 9400 single axle volvo and the comfort levels are unparalleled for a bus journey! The 9600 design on the other hand seems inspired by Chinese and Indian folks.

I wish Volvo brings all the upgrades and goodies in 9400 like classy design. Adding a representative image from the www.