Bengaluru
As demand for sleeper buses increases following the introduction of the ‘Pallakki’ service, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has floated a tender to procure 30 seater-cum-sleeper coaches and 70 non-AC sleeper coaches. This marks KSRTC’s debut in incorporating seater-cum-sleeper buses into its fleet.
On June 14, KSRTC floated a tender to purchase 222-inch buses. According to officials, the buses will be inducted into the fleet within a few months.
An official said, “This is the first time we are inducting seater-cum-sleeper buses into our fleet. We have seen such buses being operated by other State-run road transport corporations and a few private operators. Initially, we will induct only 30 such buses to gauge passenger feedback before adding more to our fleet.”
The tender documents specify that these buses will undergo a trial run first. A technical committee will evaluate the performance of the buses within a month. If the performance is satisfactory, delivery of the remaining coaches will be approved. If not, KSRTC reserves the right to cancel the remaining order without compensation.
The buses will be equipped with mobile and laptop charging ports, a mobile holder, warm white LED reading lights, a public address system, audio speakers, pillows for passengers, and a rear-view camera to aid the driver.
Pallakki — the non-AC sleeper bus service of KSRTC.. | Photo Credit: File photo
In October 2023, KSRTC launched 40 non-AC sleeper buses named ‘Pallakki’, operating on routes covering various destinations from Bengaluru and other regions across Karnataka. These buses cater to destinations located over 500 km away from Bengaluru, facilitating overnight journeys.
KSRTC operates an average of 27.64 lakh kilometres daily with a fleet of 8,113 vehicles, earning ₹13.51 crore per day while serving an average of 32.77 lakh passengers. It ranks fifth among State transport undertakings (STUs) in India by size.
Published - June 18, 2024 02:28 pm IST
