The veil has been lifted over the luxury bus specially built for the LDF government's Nava Kerala Sadas. The bus which left for Kerala from Lal Bagh in Bengaluru reached Kasaragod, the inaugural venue for the Nava Kerala Sadas on Saturday morning.
The state government had managed to keep under the wraps its Rs 1.05-crore Benz luxury coach even as social media was abuzz with speculations about its features and specialities. The bus will be used for the commute of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his ministers for the month-long Nava Kerala Sadas.
From the looks of it, drawings of Kerala's iconic desinations have been engraved on to the sides of the bus. The Chinese fishing nets, the houseboats, the temples, mosques and churches that one readily identifies with Kerala can be seen.
Out of the Rs 1.05 crore sanctioned for the purchase of the bus, the Benz chassis alone cost Rs 44 lakh. The remaining amount was spent on body building.
SM Kannappa Automobiles based in Karnataka manufactured the body of the bus. The Bharat Benz chassis model of 1624 was handed over for body construction in September. Those closely associated with the sector say that on an average, the body will cost around Rs 35 lakh. The cost will also vary depending on the increase in facilities.
The 12-metre-long special bus boasts of modern facilities similar to that of caravans. Out of the 25 seats, the first one in the front is a specially designed automatic reclining seat for the chief minister imported from China. Other facilities include a bio-toilet costing Rs 11 lakh, fridge, microwave oven, special dining area, and washbasin. The vehicle also has a special elevator.
The bus features an attractive exterior look with its body painted in chocolate brown colour. While the rule stipulates that the contract carriage buses should feature only white colour, the brown colour has been chosen on the special direction of the Transport Department.
The bus bears the special registration number starting with ‘KL-15’, allotted to KSRTC. The registration number is KL-15 A 2689.
Meanwhile, CPM leader and former minister AK Balan stated that the luxury bus could be sold for double the price if needed. "Lakhs of people will throng to see the bus used by the CM and ministers if its kept in a museum," he said slamming the Opposition's criticism.
