Intercity Bus travel reviews While i usually like to drive down to my home state, there are times when one ends up at the mercy of the private bus operators to commute. While i have usually have had no issues, there have been some recent incidents which have led me to change that opinion. The most recent among them is what transpired yesterday.
I had booked tickets on the Kallada Volvo service from Bangalore to Pandalam (Kerala) for my cousin and his wife. The bus was to depart from Madivala at 6:45PM. While one is used to the buses not leaving on time, what happened later along the trip was an eye-opener.
The reason we booked tickets on a Monday was to avoid the rush of people who return back following the weekend. Needless to say, when we booked the tickets, it was readily available, although they were doubtful of whether the bus would actually operate.
On Monday morning, i got a call from the Kallada office saying the Volvo service would not operate, and whether i would like to be put on their normal non-A/C service; other option being put on the Shama Volvo service, but the seats allotted would be towards the rear of the bus.
Left with no other option, i asked to be transferred to the Shama Volvo.
We were asked to be at the Kallada office without fail by 6:45PM.
Being punctual folks, and not wanting to make a last minute dash, we reached the place around 6:15PM. We were given a temporary ticket from Kallada and asked to report to the Shama office which we did. We were then handed the boarding pass and informed that the bus would start only at 7:30PM!!
45 minutes of sitting there was irritating in itself, but so long as the trip was fine, it was fine. When i spoke to my cousin in the morning, he hadnt yet reached home, although it was well beyond the time he should have reached. I was told that the passengers were asked to deboard the bus in which they had left Bangalore somewhere along the border and then board another Shama bus which was bringing passengers from Kerala! Seems like yet another ingenious method to avoid paying tax perhaps.
As if this wasnt enough, the bus which was to proceed along MC Road in Kerala towards Kottarakara was diverted at Tiruvalla towards Pathanamthitta. At Thiruvalla, the passengers who had to proceed further were dumped into an Ambassador and then continued with their journey, rambling along its way.
While I had booked a ticket to travel in A/C till Pandalam, the passengers were inconvenienced at more than one occassion along the trip, all thanks to the unscruplous ways of the private bus operators.
Just thought i shall bring this to the attention of the public travelling along these routes, so they are aware of these happenings. At every occassion when the passengers were bundled around, they were given the lame excuse that the bus was on the verge of breakdown, and hence couldnt continue further. Blatant lies! |