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Originally Posted by autotranny I don't think the sun film verdict of the Supreme Court will be applicable for buses. So they are safe for now. Now for some nostalgia.
Can someone here give me updates about SKS travels, one of the major operators in the Calicut - Bangalore route in the early 90's. Their office [I believe its still there] was opposite to the Alakapuri Hotel in Jail road. Inside, they used to have pictures of the steam engine buses they owned earlier. I have fond memories of this place because I undertook my first ever long distance bus travel with them in 1992. Anyway, the last time I saw one of their buses was around 2007-08 near Edappal (under the name SKS Blue Bird). I believe they had extended their route from Blore-Clt to Edappal.
Are they well known in B'lore and do they have operations in other major routes ? They don't seem to have a website till date. Any idea if they have also graduated into the league of Volvos ? |
This sure was nostalgia for me.
SKS travels was the only travels that my mom, sis and me used to travel to Calicut every summer holidays when I was a kid. Sometimes even during Christmas holidays. We were regulars for SKS for almost 10 years in a row.
Back then, I was so kicked about buses and trucks that I never slept the previous night just thinking of the noise and feel from high up in the seats.
At one point, they had a bus that had huge windows that your thighs could be seen from outside and it felt like your on top of the world sitting in those seats.
I could never figure out if the buses were AL or TM since most of them did not have the logo on the grille since it was all body built, and of course it was only AL. However, all their buses were built by Azad which had their workshop on Mysore road back then, before Bangalore University and I would make sure I look out for it since from the height of the bus, I could take a peep inside.
Back then, the Jail road or the adjoining road were SKS office(nxt to a BMTC bus stand) was located, was filled with night buses and most of them going to Kerala and it was a treat to watch these buses with their different designs, names and not to forget the lovely exhaust note each of them had.
I remember just hoping and praying during the day that the bus we got had a rear exhaust ending pipe which I knew for sure was music for the night for me! Some of them never had a exhaust note at all for some reason although they were AL and some had a lovely note at top rpm from the stock exhaust as well , though the one to die for was rear exhaust pipe which sounded amazing to me. Back, then passenger comfort was not considered as much as today , hence the noise and hard suspensions.
There was this one journey on the way back from Calicut , our bus had stopped just outside Gundlepet for a tea break along with other buses. Gundlepet to Nanjagud is a straight road with lots of ups and downs and back then it was a concrete road and these guys would gain good speed. During the stop, I was on the right side of the bus facing the road when another travels bus blasted past easily doing around 80-90 and it was some sight to see him do that speed and the sound of the exhaust could be heard going faint as he went farther since that was the only sound in the middle of the night.
There was competition among different 'travels' since Blore-Calicut was high density route for these guys since there was no train connectivity(now there is Yeshwantput-Mlore-Kannur train). The competition was friendly and I am sure the drivers all had an understanding on what time to reach the destination and overtake/speed accordingly. Some of the travels I can think if now was PK and Indira.
During early 90's, SKS used to leave around 830p from Kalasipalayam and reach Calicut as early as 430-5am! SKS according to me had very disciplined and safe drivers and did good speed, but not in the rough way. The drivers smoked beedi after beedi to keep themselves attentive but never have I smelt booze in the cab.
We did take PK travels once since they had a bus that had Quilandy as their last stop after Calicut and that was the first new designed bus that came after the ones which had an angled face with chrome grille and chrome bumpers. This one looked just like a bread box and the passengers sat way high up since the underbody was used for loading. They were Sutlej built buses.
I did travel in Kallada's Volvo when they introduced them on the Blore-Calicut route. Was no fun at all when compared to the old Leylands.
The new breed of air conditoned, rear engined , air suspended multi axle's can never beat the old Leylands .
I wish I could re-live those night journeys.