The superfast premium air-conditioned bus launched by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will begin its trial run soon. After the test run, the performance of the vehicles will be evaluated, and necessary changes will be made before deploying the vehicles in service. The 40-seater bus has pushback seats except at the rear. The side windows can be opened if the AC fails for any reason. The fare for the premium service is higher than that of the superfast service. The existing Volvo low-floor AC buses will be diverted exclusively for city service. In the first phase, 48 buses will be procured from Tata and Leyland companies. The goal is to acquire a total of 220 buses for Rs 36-Rs 38 lakh each. These buses will stop only at major depots. However, passengers who book by paying an additional Rs 10 can board at non-stop locations. The Google Maps location from where the passenger intends to board should be provided at the time of booking the ticket.
Food and beverages for passengers
Meanwhile, offering a big relief to passengers, KSRTC is finalizing a project to serve snacks, bottled water, tea and coffee on its long-distance buses. The move is intended to address grievances of travellers about lack of refreshments during long trips. The food items will be stored on a shelf to be fixed near the driver’s cabin in the space where the television is installed in tourist buses. A vending machine also will be arranged to serve tea and coffee. KSRTC authorities are planning to distribute light snacks which could be consumed easily on buses. KSRTC will lease out the space to set up the food shelf and vending machine to private contractors and bids have been invited for the purpose.