Volvo B9R multi-axle bus caught doing 130+ on its speedometer

We have spoken enough on the high end luxury buses in India and their capabilities to do high speeds. In fact, we have caught these buses on camera on numerous occasions like :http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
1. Two Volvo B7R buses racing at 125km/h
2. The Mercedes tri-axle bus doing 130km/h

Recently, thanks to our reader Sujith VG, we came across this video taken by a person "Madhuanton" of a Volvo multiaxle bus (we guess its the KPN B9R on this route) on the Madurai to Bangalore route doing crazy speeds on the highway. Look at the way it overtakes other buses! In the end of the video clip, you can clearly see the speedometer needle going past the 120km/h mark and even the 130km/h indicator! Now that's something. Dangerous or sheer ability of a Volvo bus? Feel free to comment....

Neeta Travels' Mercedes tri-axle bus' Mumbai-Goa accident

Before we start, here are the previous Mercedes bus accidents in India
1. The first ever Mercedes bus accident in India
2. Neeta's Mercedes bus crash between Hyderabad and Mumbai
3. See all Volvo and Mercedes Benz crashes till date





Thanks to our reader Vikram, here are more details on the Neeta Tours and Travel's Mercedes multiaxle bus crash that happened on the Mumbai-Goa route.
According to Vikram, the accident happened on the morning of this easter Sunday (third week of April) while the Mercedes bus was on its way to Mumbai from Goa. Around 100 kms before a place called Pen, around 6AM in the morning, Vikram was woken up due to frantic calls of people yelling at the driver who had lost control of the bus on a curve. By the time he woke up, the bus ran off the road into the field and the ride got very rough. He held tight to the seat and within a few secs, the left of the bus hit a tree. The tree fell on one side and the bus overturned onto the driver side. Luckily he was on the conductor side so escaped with minor bruises. However, lots of people were injured badly but thankfully, there was no causality.

These newer generation Mercedes Benz (and Volvo) buses are safe and hence its good to see there was no fatalities. However, at the same time, there has been an increase in such bad accidents involving these buses nowadays. We guess its time that Mercedes and Volvo started having a regular check on the kind of drivers who drive these buses!

KSRTC's Multi axle Volvo (Club Class) Bangalore to Pune

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, KSRTC, is one of the largest users of Volvo buses in India. They have now started the Multi Axle Volvo B9R service from Bangalore to Pune and Mumbai under the name Club Class.

These KSRTC Volvo B9R buses will leave from Shantinagar Bus station and pass via Kempe Gowda Bus station. The bus to Mumbai will leave Shantinagar at 2 p.m. and from Kempe Gowda Bus station at 3 p.m. It will reach Mumbai the next day at 9.45 a.m. In the return direction, it will leave Mumbai at 3 p.m. and reach Bangalore the next day at 9.45 a.m. The buses to Pune will leave Shantinagar at 6 p.m. and Kempe Gowda Bus stand at 7 p.m. to reach Pune at 9.45 a.m.

Pictures of beautiful National Travels Volvo buses

Volvo buses do look cool and beautiful but there are certain operators in India who love making them even better! Take for instance National Travels and their fleet of Volvo B7R and B9R (single axle and multi-axle buses).

Some of the nicely done examples are:

1. The "PAKEEZAH" Volvo Multi-axle B9R National Travels bus:







2. The "MUGHAL-E-AAZAM" Volvo B9R multi-axle National Travels bus:






3. The "KAAJAL" Volvo B7R single-axle National Travels bus:



4. The "TAJ MAHAL" Volvo B7R single-axle National Travels bus:



5. The "MUMTAZ MAHAL" Volvo B7R single-axle National Travels bus:

KSRTC's paperless e-ticket system and its shortcomings

KSRTC is the single largest user of Volvo B7R and B9R buses in India and the corporation is known for its strength in this area. They also have a very strong e-ticket website and they recently offered the paperless e-ticket wherein a passenger has to show just his PNR number and an ID proof to travel in a KSRTC bus. However, recently, Bangaloremirror came across a case that showed the inadequacy of the KSRTC staff.

Techie Asaque Ahmed suffered badly when he booked an e-ticket and wanted to travel from Chikmagalur to Bangalore in a KSRTC Volvo bus. However, the lady conductor was totally uncooperative and did not have a clue about e-tickets. He even logged on to the KSRTC website and showed the ticket booking, but she was not convinced and started shouting and demanding a printout at 12 in the night.

The conductor later took Asaque to the supervisor but he was just as ignorant about e-tickets.
The conductor insisted that he buy a ticket if he wanted to board the bus. Ahmed registered his complaint the next day through the KSRTC website but hasn’t yet heard from them.

K A Rajkumar, director, operations, KSRTC, told Bangalore Mirror, “Before taking up the new initiative, we sent instructions to all the conductors and received an acknowledgment from them. I do not how the conductor did not receive the letter. We are certainly going to take action against her if she is at fault. This should not have happened.”

So you think Volvo and Mercedes buses are safe? See THIS!

Update: KPN bus accident in Tamil Nadu with pictures

This has to be one of worst accidents in the history of luxury buses in India. Two days back, a KPN air-conditioned luxury bus met with a fatal accident in Tamil Nadu. The KPN Travels owned bus was going from Chennai to Pollachi. The accident happened at Avalurpet village, about 45 km from Vellore.

Atleast 22 people were killed (including seven women and a 10-year-old boy) in the accident involving this KPN bus. Only one passenger and the bus driver had a miraculous escape. The passenger Karthikai Rajam, said he escaped by breaking open a window but couldn't save his wife Smitha. The driver later surrendered himself to the police. It is reported that while trying to avoid hitting another vehicle, the Pollachi-bound KPN Travels bus crashed into the pit near Vellore district close to midnight Tuesday.

This is one of the most gruesome accidents on Tamil Nadu's accident-prone highway. The bus, carrying 23 passengers, swerved to the left and its silencer and diesel tank rammed a culvert before the vehicle fell into the ditch and caught fire at about 10.45 pm on Tuesday. KPN travels has earlier too been involved in fatal accident like THIS

All pictures from http://konidelachiranjeevi.blogspot.com/2011/06/kpn-bus-accident-photos-vellore-bus.html

MSRTC's new Volvo B9R Multi-axle Ashwamedha service

Pic: Kshitij Keer

Pic: Kshitij Keer

MSRTC (Maharasthra State Road Transport Corporation) is known for its Shivneri B7R buses that ply between the two cities of Mumbai and Pune. And now, MSRTC is running the longer, more comfortable and more powerful Volvo B9R Multi-axle buses on the same route - between Dadar and Pune railway station. Needless to say, these buses look eye catching and massive on the road. The good part is that the ticket price remains same as the Shivneri buses at Rs 270!

Pic: Kshitij Keer

Pic source - http://d-blogger-in-me.blogspot.com

Neeta travels' Mercedes triaxle bus accident between Hyderabad and Mumbai

A Mercedes Benz multi-axle / tri-axle luxury bus, run by Neeta Tours, heading to Mumbai from Hyderabad on 1st May 2011 had met with a tragic accident in which five passengers were killed on the spot and 14 others were injured. This happened when the Mercedes bus fell into a gorge near the Naldurg taluka of Osmanabad district. It was reported that the bus driver lost control on the wheel which resulted in the fall of vehicle into the gorge killing five passengers on the spot and injuring more than 14 others.

The deceased were identified as S Prasad, Shriniwas Bhadrakota, Shivkumar Padgir, Deepika Pawankur and Taufik. The age group of victims could not be ascertained as yet, police said. Our condolences to the families of those who passed away.

Here is a video of the same bus by "bokanglock" on youtube.com. Look how Neeta Tours and Travels has rubbed off their brand name from the bus body! Thanks for the pictures to Bokanglock also!



In the past, high speed buses like Volvo and Mercedes have been involved in accidents like these. Click HERE to see all