BENGALURU: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s ‘Ambaari Utsav’ has been doing rounds on social media ahead of its launch. Working on the promise of a 15-m long bus which will offer an aircraft-like travel experience, KSRTC will be inducting 20 such multi-axle Volvo 9600 sleeper buses to its fleet on Tuesday.
The exact route and ticket prices are yet to be revealed, sources said that the buses will be added to the Bengaluru and Mangaluru divisions. Of 50 buses we want to add to our fleet, 20 have been delivered to us by Volvo. The vehicles are registered and is ready for induction. Justifying its name Ambaari Ustav -‘Celebration of Journey’, the bus will offer the best comforts among all sleeper classes operated by KSRTC, the source said.
Citizens clicked pictures of the bus and shot videos while it was on the trail run and on its way to the KSRTC depot in Bengaluru. While there were reports that all the 20 buses will be handed to the Mysuru division, the source said the buses will be divided among the Bengaluru and Mangaluru divisions, and when the remaining 30 buses are delivered, they will be given to other divisions.
The source said that the buses will run on long routes like Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam where the demand is high for sleeper class. “As the bus offers premium service and luxury, the tickets will be priced accordingly. For now, it can be said that the cost of these sleeper buses will be above the Ambari dream class cost,” the source said. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Transport Minister Sriramulu are expected to flag it off on Tuesday.