Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to launch its longest daily services from Bangalore to Puri (Odisha) (Bangalore_Puri), using Volvo 9600 air-conditioned sleeper buses by October 2024. Puri is approximately 1,500 kms from Bangalore.
Currently, the longest KSRTC routes are Bangalore-Mumbai and Bangalore-Shirdi, each spanning about 1,000 kms. The expansion plan comes in the wake of strong passenger demand for bus services from Bangalore to far-off places and competition from the private sector.
Many private operators already run luxury bus services from Bengaluru to far-off destinations, including Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Jaipur, Jaitaran, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. At a little over 2,000 km, the Bengaluru-Jaisalmer bus service is India's longest.
There is no direct bus service from Bengaluru to Puri, a pilgrimage town in coastal Odisha as in September 2024. To launch these new interstate services, the KSRTC is in the process of seeking approvals from road transport corporations of the respective states along the routes.
KSRTC will deploy two buses for the Bangalore to Puri and return route, with one making the onward journey and the other the return. There will be no toilet facility in the buses. The fare is expected to be around Rs 2,500 each way. The travel time will be 27 to 28 hours.
Under the Ambaari Utsav brand, the KSRTC is procuring 20 numbers of Volvo 9600 multi-axle, AC sleeper buses. Each new bus will cost around Rs 1.8 crore. The Ambaari Utsav buses have new body and shape, and additional features compared to the Ambaari Dream Class.
Two more Volvo 9600 buses under the Ambaari Utsav brand will ply on the Bangalore to Ahmedabad and return route.
The remaining 16 new AC sleeper buses will serve routes to Mangalore, Kundapur, Murdeshwar, Hyderabad and Ernakulam. Coastal Karnataka routes (Mangaluru, Kundapur and Murdeshwar) alone require requiring 10 to 12 of these luxury buses.
The KSRTC is also adding 20 AC seater buses to meet demand on the Tirupati, Ernakulam, Kundapur and Mangaluru routes because most of the current seater buses have outlived their utility and need to be replaced. The KSRTC currently has a fleet of 474 Volvo buses and will phase out 60 vehicles by March 2025.
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* Indian Roadie Bus Route
