The much-buzzed-about fleet of Super Deluxe buses launched by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) turns out to be a white elephant with lack of maintenance and low quality interiors.
Inaugurated in October, the 50 Super Deluxe buses were assembled at the KSRTC’s central workshop in Pappanamcode here.
They were deployed phasing out 30 Super Express buses which were plying on the inter-state routes.
These 40-seat non-A/C super deluxe buses, which bears a new logo ‘I Love My KSRTC’ have facilities including push-back seats, mobile and laptop chargers, reading lamps and inside panelling, air suspension and driver-controlled pneumatic doors guaranteeing both safety and comfort to the passenger.
The ticket charge for SDLX are higher when compared to Super Express but cheaper than Volvos.
Passengers complained that the seats had worn out and bedbugs were also there.
“Almost all the SDLX buses have push-back seats, which makes the journey more comfortable. Everything was functioning well in the first few weeks and then the push back springs started getting defunct partially. Many seats in buses such as the Munnar SDLX are damaged.
The cup and magazine holders are already damaged,” Sujith Bhakthan, a regular passenger, said.
The buses are supposed to run well for five years. The buses were made in different batches.
The first batch comprised 10 buses. However, the quality of the buses which were made later were alleged to be low when compared to the first set.
When asked about the issue, K M Irshad, executive director of Operations, said that the corporation had received no such complaints so far. However, he also admitted that there were problems with the push back facility owing to complaints with the springs.
When it was launched, the SDLX buses were a great hit among the KSRTC fans. It received a great fan-following and the online ticket booking facility also got much popular.
It also turned out to be a new generation symbol with techies from Bangalore, travelling to Kerala, preferring it more than private buses, thanks to the fan groups in Facebook.
However, lack of attention from authorities and the absence of proper maintenance led to a situation where the high class passengers no longer prefer the service. The project might taste failure unless there’s timely intervention from the authorities.
News from New Indian Express.
Now, its your turn to say, can we expect an other scam on the seats purchased for new deluxe buses?
