An Airavat Club Class 2.0 bus.
Credit: KSRTC
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will induct 20 new-age Volvo multi-axle seater buses on Wednesday.
The buses will be an upgraded version (2.0) of the popular Airavat Club Class, which were first introduced in 2003-04.
The buses are part of Volvo’s 9600 series, the same series as the KSRTC’s flagship Ambaari Utsav. Each bus costs Rs 1.78 crore.
KSRTC Managing Director V Anbukumar said the new buses maintain the existing Airavat Club Class logo and branding but have some best-in-class features, including the Fire Alarm and Protection System (FAPS).
Under the FAPS, water pipes will be provided on both sides of passenger seats to supply water from 30 nozzles in case of a fire.
“This is the first time that Volvo seater buses will have this feature in Karnataka. We are continuously working to improve safety in all our buses,” he told DH.
The new buses will be “exactly 15 metres long”, giving passenger extra leg space, he added.
Other features include improved engine and mileage, increased height, more luggage capacity and rear fog light for better nighttime driving.
The KSRTC plans to operate the new buses from Bengaluru to Raichur, Mantaralaya, Kundapura, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Goa, Shivamogga, Mysuru, Hyderabad and Tirupati, Anbukumar explained.
The KSRTC is a leader in luxury buses, operating the highest number of Volvo vehicles in India.
The KSRTC has 8,849 buses and operates 8,068 schedules daily, carrying 34.92 lakh passengers.