Express, Deluxe, Pallevelugu and Super Luxury. How many types of buses does TSRTC operate. What do they all mean ? Here is a brief explainer for all the products offered by the corporation.
Pallevelugu.
Pallevelugu (PV) or Ordinary are the entry level non ac buses. The primary function of these buses is to connect villages with the nearest urban center. PV are used by villages to access services in nearby towns. They provide the means for students to access higher education, connect farmers to markets and jobs.
Pallevelugu buses are built on 10-11m long Ashok Leyland, Tata or Eicher chassis with 180HP engines. They have only one wide door after front axle, aligned to the middle of wheelbase. Buses that start off as Pallevelugu have tinted windows and seats in 3X2 layout. Older buses have headrests while the new ones are built like benches. All Pallevelugu that don't have full body ads are painted in light green on a white back ground
Pallevelugu Mini.
Pallevelugu buses sometimes connect remote villages and many of these routes do not have sufficient ridership to justify a full sized bus. To reduce operation costs and provide better service, TSRTC procured Mini buses and branded them Mini Pallevelugu. Fare on these buses is the same as full sized buses. However, many buses have already been diverted to serve as non stop services between small towns defeating the purpose of procuring these buses.
Express buses offer faster connections to district head quarters from tier three cities. These buses are used by businessmen and citizens in general to access administrative services and healthcare. They also function as low cost option on inter city and interstate routes. Many towns in Telangana have at least one express bus per hour to Hyderabad.
Express buses are also built on 10-11m long Ashok Leyland, Tata or Eicher chassis with 180HP engines. They have only one door in the front overhang. Express buses have tinted windows and seats with slight incline and headrest in 3X2 layout. These buses have a wave looking graphic painted in two shades of blue on a white background.
Deluxe
Deluxe buses are popular on short routes with travel times not exceeding 3 hours. TSRTC operates them aggressively with 10-15 minute head ways. They are also used as an affordable option on longer routes.
Deluxe buses use the same chassis as Express buses. In fact the exteriors of the buses are built same. However, these buses have better seats with cushions and cloth upholstery in 2X2 layout. Deluxe buses have a very peculiar graphic painted in purple on a white background.
Super Luxury
Super Luxury (SL) buses are operated on Intercity and Inter State routes. Most routes dominated by Deluxe buses are now getting replaced with the better equipped SL buses. All district headquarters have at least one SL bus per hour to Hyderabad.
Again, Super Luxuries use the same chassis as Express and Deluxe buses. However these buses are peppered with amenities. For starters, SL buses have Air Suspension that helps in a smoother ride. The buses are built with GI frames and Aluminium sheets complete with a Fiber face for better aesthetics. These buses have reclining seats in 2X2 layout. Additionally, there is a TV with a lot of pre loaded movies and some advertisements. These buses have a minimal graphic in white and grey painted on a Pink background.
Rajadhani
Rajadhani buses were first introduced in 2011 (branded Indra) as an affordable AC product. These buses are operated from all district head quarters to Hyderabad and some locations beyond. Some of the most successful SL services are now getting an upgrade with Rajadhani buses.
Rajadhani buses use Ashok Leyland's 12m chassis with 230HP engine. These buses can easily reach up to 99 kmph. Like super luxury buses, Rajadhanis are built strong with GI frames and Aluminium sheets complete with a Fiber face for better aesthetics. They also have reclining seats and a TV on board. Rajadhani buses have a simple line graphic on a rather dull green back ground. Passengers also get amenities like a water bottle and a blanket.
Garuda
As ageing VOLVO B7R s get replaced, Garuda is a fast vanishing product. Garuda redefined "luxury" travel in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Powerful 230HP engines and plush interiors, there was no bus comfortable than a Garuda. These buses are operated on some of the longest routes. They also serve as a luxury option on shorter routes.
Garuda Plus
Garuda Plus was introduced in 2011 as an answer to the uptake of Multi Axle buses in the inter city segment. TSRTC started off with Mercedes buses. VOLVO's B9R buses were added to the fleet with in a year. These buses proved to be successful on interstate routes paving way for TSRTC's domination on routes like Hyderabad-Bengaluru. Like Rajadhani and Garuda buses, Garuda Plus buses also serve as a luxury option on short routes.
In 2014, TSRTC became the first government bus agency in India to own a VOLVO B11R. At 14.5 meters this was once India's longest bus. Scania buses powered by Bio Diesel also serve as Garuda Plus. To sum up, TSRTC now has VOLVO B9Rs with manual and automatic transmission along with a bunch of Scania and Mercedes Benz buses. Most Garuda Plus buses have reclining seats with a calf rest. In addition to TVs and music system, they also come with mobile charging points. Like all AC buses, water bottles and blankets are given no matter where you board the bus.
While the older buses were experimented on with different colors, newer Garuda Plus buses have a uniform livery done with a combination of dark blue and peach colors along with a dash of all important pink.
Vajra
Launched with a tagline mobility redefined, Vajra buses seek to redefine day time business and leisure travel in Telangana. Unlilke the conventional buses, Vajra buses start from residential colonies and commercial hubs in Hyderabad and have drop off points all over the major cities of Telangana. TSRTC uses Mahindra's Cosmo mini buses for this product. Customers can track their buses on their mobile phones which is facilitated by a tab on board the bus.
However noble the intentions might be, Vajra failed to impress users. Thanks to shortcomings like not being able to tickets on board the bus, the product did not perform well. Though most problems have been ironed out, Vajra still seems like ahead of time.
Was that a lot ? This was an attempt from our side to explain the different products offered by TSRTC. Do you have any questions ? Please write to us on our Facebook ! Hope this is helpful.
Text : Ratnam
Pictures : Sampath
