[deepclutch]

Originally Posted by binaiks

DileepKS, all the requirements of the "policy" you ask already exist. For routes above 80 KM (one way), awarding of permits is based on a point system. More the number of buses an operator has, more points he gets. And for every 4 buses, they can keep one bus, TAX FREE, as a spare bus. AFAICT, none of the operators in Kerala has a spare bus.

I think Kalappurackal Motor Service(KMS) of Paika(near pala,kottayam) got spare buses.they even swap buses while enroute -mostly in Pala-Ponkunnam route.This KMS is the Long route service from Ernakulam to eastern towns of kottayam district.

[HappyWheels]

Booked my tickets for Trichy from Bangalore for the 22nd night KPN volvo. Online booking.

For people doing this and using ICICI, do not click on the "Register" button that comes after you give your credit card number and details. I did that and so kuku in the system messed up and locked out my ICICI internet banking login!

Just click on the "I do not want to register" just below that button and continue.

As always, a hazzle free experience, at least with regard to seat option and booking and the ticket.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by DileepKS

2. The state RTC should compete with the private operators. They don't need market protection.

actually they do, to some extent. just like BSNL has to connect every village and town, while private operators will do only 'feasible' areas. state transport operators ( at least I can say this applies to the Kerala SRTC with certainty) have to run services to these very same villages and towns, run city services to nooks and crannies even if it is not feasible, because they have to. So they have to make some profits somewhere.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by binaiks

KSRTC drivers, as far as I have seen, have better control on their vehicles, and they tend to slow down on narrow roads atleast (this is my personal opinion).

The above doesnt hold true when they engage in a duel with a private bus. Want to see perfect examples of this in action? Check out the services running along KK Road.

[prmd_cochin]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

actually they do, to some extent. just like BSNL has to connect every village and town, while private operators will do only 'feasible' areas. state transport operators ( at least I can say this applies to the Kerala SRTC with certainty) have to run services to these very same villages and towns, run city services to nooks and crannies even if it is not feasible, because they have to. So they have to make some profits somewhere.

Absoluty wrong, cant compare BSNL to KeSRTC.

Its the private bus operators who have operated and 'opened' up innumerable routes in rural areas in Kerala. Routes that i know.

Ernakulam - Kakkanad - Pbvr - Munnar ( PPK, PMS, Comrade etc)
Ernakulam - Kakkanad - Neriamangalam - Kumily Route ( Pournami)
Ernakulam - kakkanad - Mvpz - Thodupuzha ( Lina)
Ernakulam - Paravur - Guruvayur ( Krishna, Mayilvahanam, Attuparampath)

Now you see KSRTC running paralla service along with these private bus operators to eat their meal, this at the time when they dont have enough buses to service the nationalised ( KeSRTC only) routes like Aluva - Paravur, Aluva - Perumbavur, Ernakulam - Muvatupuzha. On all these nationalised routes people need to depend on Jeeps and other cramped tempo services.

[greenhorn]

they may be inefficient. But the logic behind nationalization of routes is sound. Not sure how the long distance stuff is organized now. but was well organized once upon a time - at least thats the story dad told me. Will ask him about this tomorrrow. He should have something interesting

[addyhemmige]

I had to face a very bad situation when I had to travel to Hyderabad on work. I got tickets booked from a travel agent on old airport road in Bangalore, who claimed to be a representative of GeePee Travels. My first preference was the KSRTC Airavat, but it was fully booked.

This guy books me a ticket on a GeePee volvo departing at 11 pm from Majestic. He asks me to report at another travel agent in Majestic at 10.30 pm. Not wanting to be late, I reach the travel agent in Majestic at 10.15 pm only to find the shop closed. I frantically call all the numbers on the so called 'ticket' only to hear 'not reachable'. I was thinking what to do when this guy comes up and opens the shutter of the shop. I ask him about the bus and he tells me he doesn't know anything about it. After a little bit of shouting, he somehow contacts the agent who issued my ticket and takes me near the GeePee travels office at 11 pm. There they they tell me, their last volvo was at 10.30 and now I can only be accomodated in their last bus which was a 'luxury' bus and will leave at 11.15. I get irritated and ask for a refund of the excess fare. They say that I am lucky to be getting a bus at this hour and will not refund anything.

After countless arguments, I finally board the bus. And imagine my surprise, after all this, the 2nd travel agent guy asks me for a tip just because took me from his office to the GeePee office. I get totally angry and ask him to buzz off. He leaves the bus grumbling. I settle down in the bus waiting for it to start and I keep on waiting till 12.15 am. Apparently there were a few vacant seats and the operator wanted to fill them up before the bus left. Finally, after all the passengers start shouting, the bus moves.

This so-called luxury bus did not even have a proper push back seat. I was cursing the moment I went to the travel agent to book the ticket.

I don't even think this bus had proper documents for inter-state travel. The bus was asked to stop at a police check-point somewhere on the outskirts of Hyderabad. But the driver coolly drives through the check poin without stopping. But later, he is stopped forcibly and taken away by the police. He comes back half an hour later and resumes the drive. I don't know what happened between him and the police. Finally, when I reached Hyderabad, it was 2.15 pm.

I had missed all my appointments for that day and the whole day was wasted because of this.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Gee Pee travels are the worst of the lot. Never ever board any bus of them. Have you ever seen any of the their bus being loaded with luggage, I have once seen an entire Eicher Canter load being loaded onto the roof of the bus, this bus was leaving from Hyderabad at 10.00 PM, imagine when it would reach Bangalore the next day.

In the initial days of redbus the only volvo which they had between Bangalore & Hyderabad was Gee Pee. In one instance I have had the A/c cover flying off and falling on the roof of the bus with huge thud noise. It took them close to an hour to tie the cover with some wires etc and continue onwards to Hyderabad.


I have seen umpteen number of times the Bangalore - Chennai Gee Pee sleeper bus at around 8 AM near Vellore, I pity the guys travelling in that bus who need to attend office. Not before 11 would this bus reach Chennai.

[prmd_cochin]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

they may be inefficient. But the logic behind nationalization of routes is sound. Not sure how the long distance stuff is organized now. but was well organized once upon a time - at least thats the story dad told me. Will ask him about this tomorrrow. He should have something interesting

KeSRTC services on the NH 47 and MC road sctor is full proof.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

I had to face a very bad situation when I had to travel to Hyderabad on work. I got tickets booked from a travel agent on old airport road in Bangalore, who claimed to be a representative of GeePee Travels. My first preference was the KSRTC Airavat, but it was fully booked.

My policy when it comes to bus travel is simple - If it ain't an RTC, I ain't going.

My primary choice is always Kerala SRTC, and second is Karnataka SRTC (for my monthly trips to Thrissur from Bangalore). The fact that KeSRTC did not have an Online Reservation used to make it easy for me to get tickets. KaSRTC is the first to sell out - sells out even before private operators manage to fill half their bus. KeSRTC is the last to sell out - typically they sell out about 30 minutes prior to departure. People even directly turn up at the bus station and purchase tickets on board.

This will end very soon - the KeSRTC is opening online reservations from this month end.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by binaiks

My policy when it comes to bus travel is simple - If it ain't an RTC, I ain't going.

Luckily for you, you need to travel to a place which is well connected, providing you with more than one option. For people like me, a ray of light comes when a volvo is introduced on the very route i require but there is no guarantee that this service will prevail. When i call up the next time to use the same, i get the info the bus is not available on that route.
Nonsense!

When i buy a diesel vehicle, i resolve i will never care for the damned buses or trains to travel. As of now, cost of petrol and lower mileage on a petrol vehicle as compared to the modern day diesels is the only thing stopping me.

[prmd_cochin]

Originally Posted by binaiks

My policy when it comes to bus travel is simple - If it ain't an RTC, I ain't going.

My primary choice is always Kerala SRTC, and second is Karnataka SRTC (for my monthly trips to Thrissur from Bangalore). The fact that KeSRTC did not have an Online Reservation used to make it easy for me to get tickets. KaSRTC is the first to sell out - sells out even before private operators manage to fill half their bus. KeSRTC is the last to sell out - typically they sell out about 30 minutes prior to departure. People even directly turn up at the bus station and purchase tickets on board.

This will end very soon - the KeSRTC is opening online reservations from this month end.

KeSRTC is fine, but dont you lose a lot of time as it enters and exits all the bus stations enroute, also what happens if you are lucky to have a puncture !!!

[deepclutch]

KeSRTC is fine, but dont you lose a lot of time as it enters and exits all the bus stations enroute, also what happens if you are lucky to have a puncture !!!

after kerala ,where is the worry?and when the passenger is to return to thrissur or palakkad ,this question has no relevance for them

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by prmd_cochin

KeSRTC is fine, but dont you lose a lot of time as it enters and exits all the bus stations enroute, also what happens if you are lucky to have a puncture !!!

Absolutely NOT! Neither of the SRTCs enter Bus stations if all seats are taken at the origin. They avoid bus station also if only a couple of seats are vacant. It is anyday better than private operators, who keep waiting till eternity to fill their seats. There have been cases where private operators cancel a trip altogether if they could not fill up seats. Government run companies give the guarantee of a timely departure - and of course the bus would not be cancelled for want of passengers.

During my journey from TVM to Bangalore by KeSRTC Volvo, it skipped all bus stations en-route (Except Thrissur). The bus picked passengers at Attingal, and one at Kollam. EKM stop was at Vytilla. At the same time, a Volvo by a private operator would go to Kollam, to Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur.

And, If I get lucky to have a puncture, my case would be the same as that of a passenger in a private bus! SRTC buses operating on inter-state routes are provided with spare tyres and all equipments to change tyres.

Originally Posted by deepclutch

after kerala ,where is the worry?and when the passenger is to return to thrissur or palakkad ,this question has no relevance for them

Could you please explain what do you intend to convey by this post?

[deepclutch]

Could you please explain what do you intend to convey by this post?

I was referring to thrissur-banglore or palakkad-banglore service via coimbattur.unlike in kerala ,the no.of stations ksrtc(kerala) entering may be very few.