Happened to travel by the KTC Volvo 9100 two days back. I guess this is the first review of a Volvo 9100.
KTC - Kerala Transport Corporation - is a very old transport company based in Kozhikode, Kerala. They had lots of local operations (stage carriages) earlier. Stopped all bus services sometime last year. This year, they came back to the bus scene with some premium intercity services.
They bought two Volvo B9Rs (9400XLs) and two Volvo 9100s (reportedly the first operator to book). The Volvo 9400XLs run Kannur-Chennai (via Kozhikode, Palakkad, Pollachi, Trichy, Pondy) and the Volvo 9100s run Kanhangad-Trivandrum (via Kannur, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Ernakulam).
I had come to my hometown last weekend for a function, and had to head to Trivandrum for some official work. I usually take a train for Thrissur-Trivandrum journeys, since there are not many comfortable options by road (timings are odd for good buses). This time, I decided to try out KTC.
KTC charges Rs. 550 for Thrissur-Trivandrum (same rates for Kozhikode-Trivandrum). The departure time at Thrissur is 0030hrs and the pick-up point is at Poonkunnam bus stop (in the middle of no where, at odd hours). I was shocked seeing such a pick-up point in my ticket. I tried calling their helpdesk many times, but no body picks up. The same thing continued till about 2300hrs on the night of my journey (the night of Nov 12, 2012). One person picked up the call and gave me the drivers' number.
I was initially hesitant to call the driver - obviously since he might be at the wheels! I had no choice - called him up. He said the bus would come after 0045hrs only. He did not know much of the roads in Thrissur and hence could not say much about the pick-up point other than some vague information. Understanding the place in bits and pieces, I tell him that I'd call at 0015hrs to confirm their location.
I call him at 0015hrs - they are still over 60kms from my pick up point. He promises to call me when they reach Kunnamkulam (20kms from my pick-up point). As promised, he called up as soon as the bus passed Kunnamkulam (at 0110hrs). I took an auto from the KSRTC bus station (I had taken shelter there, without wanting to stand in a deserted place). The bus came in at 0125hrs.
The driver (who talked to me) was on the attenders' seat - there were two drivers and no attendant. He welcomed me to the bus, and quickly gave me the first row seat - my reserved seat was towards the rear of the bus. He switched on the reading lights at my seat so that I could settle down, and not disturb the rest of the bus. A 500ml bottle of water and blanket was provided.
The driver(s) were well behaved - both flashed lights to signal overtaking instead of honking and used indicators while changing lanes. A lady passenger wanted to use the toilet - the crew immediately started searching for a decent fuel station, and stopped at one for the lady - no grumbling. They stopped for a tea break at Vyttila (Ernakulam bypass).
After the four lane road ended, they crew starting firing on all cylinders. They were too fast - ended up having a few rash overtakes. Bad roads meant that some stuff in the bus was rattling badly. The bus finally dropped me at Thampanoor (Aristo Jn), Trivandrum at 0551hrs. 4 hours and 26 minutes for around 285kms - of which around 75% is two-laned!
About the bus: The seats are thinner - but provides good support. The cushion felt a bit harder. Leg space is similar to that in a 9400 (B7R), non semi-sleeper layout. The bus is a bit smaller than a B7R (IIRC, the overall length is only around 11.8m), but still has 45 seats. The first row has poor leg space - not like the one in B7Rs. The bus is somewhat noisy, compared to the B7R - its a low cost product anyways. The ride quality is similar to the one in B7R, but poorer compared to B9R. The quality of fittings in typical volvo class. The engine feels a bit sluggish on inclines - but is still confidence inspiring. The bus has 6 forward and 1 reverse gear - same as the B7R.
The Volvo 9100 is a typical made for STU product. Its a perfect choice for STUs - no fancy curved glass for the first row seats, no electrically adjustable ORVMs, lesser HP engine promising to deliver better fuel efficiency, and so on.
About the service: The response from office when I called was poor. But the crew were really friendly. They way they handled passenger requests was really good. I am really impressed with the service - will surely try them again. They offer online reservation as well. Their services are not listed on RedBus though.