[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by sanju.sreekumar

URGENT! Need contact number for Agents to book tickets for Sofia Lines from EKM to BLR.

For EKM to BLR (Sofiya lines/SRM/Sharma etc)
SKYLINE TOURS & TRAVELS, ROOM NO:1, CORPORATION SHOPPING COMPLEX,
VYTILLA, KOCHI, Kerala 682019
0484 3220858

BLR-EKM
Try Dharma travels, Madiwala @ 080 25635555/6/7, Anish (09886090036), Saji (9886817414). You can book over phone and collect tickets before boarding. They are agents for all Kerala buses including Sofiya & SRM

[gold class]

2010: Auto Expo ; Curtain Raiser
Mercedes Benz - Mercedes-Benz will be making some important launches at the Auto Expo this year. Leading the event for the three-pointed star will be a preview of a high end limousine on the very first day of the show. If the rumour mill is to be believed, this launch could change the face of the super luxury saloon segment in India in which Mercedes is already a leading choice. The second day of the 10th Auto Expo will also see Mercedes preview a brand new bus for the Indian commercial vehicle space. The bus will offer the Volvo buses stiff competition with its high standards of safety, quality, efficiency and reliability. If the grapevine is to be believed, the new bus may just be head-on competition to the relatively recent Volvo B9R bus.

[vigsom]

I travelled from Trichy to Chennai by SETC route 777(Pamba-Chennai) last month-the Ultra Deluxe bus was IN GREAT SHAPE save for some dirty beige side panels.

A good AV system and a pair of excellent drivers made the journey memorable-only 6.25 hrs from Trichy to Vadapalani and all this with the bus going into Ulundurpet,Villupuram and Tindivanam to offload/load passengers.

The only stop was at Thozhudur,75kms from Trichy.

Fare Rs.175

[coolclouds]

Its better to take Govt buses on weekends as the bus is full and they maintain good timings running non stop. Otherwise, they travel thru small towns to load passengers thus lose time. Once I travelled Coimbatore-Bangalore on SETC and the running time was much better.

[kadri007]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Its better to take Govt buses on weekends as the bus is full and they maintain good timings running non stop.

Govt bus on a weekend, my advice be careful because luck matters a lot. I traveled this weekend in a KSRTC Rajahamsa after a very long time since i didn't get ticket in other private buses.

The bus condition was average, but the speed was horrible. The driver was driving like a bullockart and forget private buses, even loaded trucks were overtaking it.

For a 8 hour journey it took 10 hours. It took 2 hours more to reach Bangalore from Mangalore. After traveling in high speed private buses which sometime reach before time in just 7 hours, the experience would just let you down, the driver was least bothered on the delay and still he was driving in 30/40KM speed.

So chances of ending up late to office is high.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by kadri007

Govt bus on a weekend, my advice be careful because luck matters a lot. I traveled this weekend in a KSRTC Rajahamsa after a very long time since i didn't get ticket in other private buses.

The bus condition was average, but the speed was horrible. The driver was driving like a bullockart and forget private buses, even loaded trucks were overtaking it.

For a 8 hour journey it took 10 hours. It took 2 hours more to reach Bangalore from Mangalore. After traveling in high speed private buses which sometime reach before time in just 7 hours, the experience would just let you down, the driver was least bothered on the delay and still he was driving in 30/40KM speed.

So chances of ending up late to office is high.

Thats sad!!!!
Kerala RTC operate some good buses including Volvo between Bangalore & Kerala via Salem and are very fast outside Kerala boarder.

[coolclouds]

After a long wait, public can book tickets online on Kerala RTC now.

Book online at keralartconline.com

EDIT: Mods: Don't know how the same post repeated here. Please delete

[DWind]

Originally Posted by vigsom

A good AV system and a pair of excellent drivers made the journey memorable-only 6.25 hrs from Trichy to Vadapalani and all this with the bus going into Ulundurpet,Villupuram and Tindivanam to offload/load passengers.

Not Always! If you had travelled on those rust buckets that travel end to end from Chennai and Trichy your reaction would be the opposite. I usually try to travel on a bus which is coming afar or travelling further than my destination. As they need to cover further distance they are not bound to take their own time to complete or extend their shift. For end to end to Trichy chances are the driver would take 8 hours as against the 6.5 hours it took you. Also, since the bus was travelling interstate newer buses would be deployed so that there are less chances of break-down. Chennai-Trichy or Chennai-Pondy are always the last list in priority for deploying newer buses.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by DWind

Not Always! If you had travelled on those rust buckets that travel end to end from Chennai and Trichy your reaction would be the opposite. I usually try to travel on a bus which is coming afar or travelling further than my destination. As they need to cover further distance they are not bound to take their own time to complete or extend their shift. For end to end to Trichy chances are the driver would take 8 hours as against the 6.5 hours it took you. Also, since the bus was travelling interstate newer buses would be deployed so that there are less chances of break-down. Chennai-Trichy or Chennai-Pondy are always the last list in priority for deploying newer buses.

agreed Boss.

I have been patronising TTC(now SETC) since 1983 and never take route 123(those days 503).You are spot on-Chennai-Trichy end to end buses take 8 hrs

I always prefer Trivandrum-Chennai/Nagercoil-Chennai/Tirunelveli-Chennai SETCs as they are much better and faster.

Even in this case,I let a 123 UD go and waited for approx 20 minutes before I got this route 777.

The same logic applies to trains-go by Pallavan and it takes 5.5 hrs;take Kanyakumari Exp and you are there in 5 hrs

[foby.sebastian]

I think this thread would have been better if some one post some snaps.

A single photo speaks more than 1000 words !!!!!

Does any one have the snaps of teh seating arrangement in Sofia lines ?

Can any one get the photos of the new sleeper Volvo of Karnataka SRTC ?

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by prmd_cochin

Nice. Have you travelled by these?

Yes! Just reached home after a ride on it from Bangalore to Thrissur.

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Does any one have the snaps of teh seating arrangement in Sofia lines ?

There is nothing special in the seating of the Sofiya line Volvos to warrant uploading an image. It is like a normal Volvo bus, but with three extra rows of seats.

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Can any one get the photos of the new sleeper Volvo of Karnataka SRTC ?

Thats a Corona please. Sleeper Volvos are still not officially available in India - the ones you see on the road are after-market modifications.

I traveled from Bangalore to Thrissur on the Corona AC sleeper yesterday night. The journey was amazing - was my first on a sleeper bus. The ride was comfortable - Vibrations were well under control. The bus was a bit noisy though - but not very irritating. One can hear the engine pretty well even near the driver cabin (given the fact that the bus is a rear-engine version). The engine appeared too underpowered for ghats (its a 160hp engine). The gearing, however, is amazing. Its got 6 forward and 1 reverse gear. Retarders are provided, which kept passengers on the berths even when the driver applied brakes hard.

The bus left Shantinagar past 2110, and reached Thrissur at 0650. (The bus took a break near Krishnagiri - 25 minutes. Later, the driver found some problem with the retarder, and had to stop the bus to check it - time lost was about 15 minutes. Later, at morning the bus stopped on the road side after a few passengers requested for a "leak" halt - time lost 10 minutes).

Attaching some pics of the Corona Sleeper. See some more images, here.

[coolclouds]

Returned from Kochi on a "SPECIAL" bus. The special `Royal Travels' (KL7 AP 4**9)started from Vyttila at 7.20pm, left Trichur at 9.30 and then headed via Pollachi because of some tax issues, joined NH47 at Coimbatore. Took Omallur/Palakode/Devanigottai (?) Thani (?) etc etc,very very bad streches and finally reached outskirts of Anekal at 7.10am. No one in the back seats could even sit because of the road condition!! Everyone then moved in to a local SLV for drop at Bangalore. All of us from Vyttila were waiting for the bus from 6.15 and they even didn't stop for dinner!!!!

A `special service' at a higher price

[pypkmsrikanth]

@ Coolclouds - Exactly the reason why it never makes sense to take any of those special buses even if its from one of the regular travels, because you never know what is in store. And if you realise the fare which they charge one way would more than break even for them even if they come completely empty the other way. In Chennai we have had an instance of the driver & cleaner walking away from the bus with all the collections leaving the bus & the passengers in the middle of no-where and not to be traced again during one Diwali Season.

[coolclouds]

You are right.

I take a special bus only if there is absolutely no other option.

I remember another incident about `special bus'

Bus started from Jos Jn at 8pm against its actual departure time of 6pm, that too with a non working air suspension. They promises that the technician is waiting at Trichur.

Reached Trichur at 11.30pm (that was the condition of the bus) and technician arrives at 12.15am

He checks and informs some of the passengers that its not repairable, still doing some work under the bus.

01.00am, finally driver agrees to check with the technician and found him sleeping under the bus.

We stopped the night patrol police and requested help. Polices helps by talking to the owner at Chalakkudy and driver and a couple of their people. And finally, we get a refund at 03.30am

Some of the passengers cancelled their trip, some flew to Bangalore, five of us hired a Qualis and reached Bangalore at 12.00 noon.

That was the trip...

Another time, me and my friend booked ticket from Chennai to Kochi on 7PM SRM travels A/c bus. We reached Koyambedu on time and found only three passengers for the trip. As the bus was delayed, we checked with the agent and asked them to refund or arrange ticket on Oasis bus, which has more passengers. They refused and started the bus from there.

After some 10kms, the bus stalls because of technical complaint (!!!!) and they make alternate arrangement in their Coimbatore bus at 11PM!!!! Came to know later that opposite service from Kochi on same day did the same thing at Coimbatore and send all passengers by their CBE-MAS bus.

Thats how they make profit

[foby.sebastian]

Thank you for uploading the snaps.

Some one told me that there is more leg and shoulder room is Sofialines , is that correct ?

The seats are new clean and more neat, when compared to the other operators , can some one comment on these ?

Which fleet operator uses the newest volvo to Kerala ?

Have any one travelled in other semisleeper/sleeper buses very recentely , How about the bugs in the semisleeper buses ? I have a very bad experience in a private operator , the bus was full of bugs so most of the passengers were not able to sleep, every one was busy scratching here and there!!!