Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah launched 20 new Airavat Club Class luxury 2.0 buses in Bengaluru Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday. The luxury buses will ply to different locations and offer top comfort to passengers. The staff of Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and transport minister Ramalinga Reddy were also present at the inaugural event.
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According to reports, each Airavat Club Class luxury 2.0 bus costs ₹1.78 crore. It is an updated version of the previous Airavat Club Class buses. These buses also have more legroom and headroom and wider windshields. With these 20 buses, KSRTC now has the highest number of Volvo buses in its fleet.
KSRTC said, “Windshield glass is 9.5 percent wider, improving driver visibility and reducing blind spots. Larger luggage space, offering 20 per cent more capacity compared to previous buses, making it the first bus with such ample luggage space, pantographic design, making vehicle maintenance easier, rear fog lights for improved safety during nighttime driving, easy-to-reach driver controls and switches for greater driver convenience.”
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{{/usCountry}}These buses also have powerful halogen headlights and daytime running lights (DRL) with new plush interiors. The Scandinavian-style exteriors offer visually appealing aesthetics, making the journey special and memorable. The unique Aerodynamic design provides better fuel efficiency and advanced engine technology delivers superior performance and improves fuel efficiency.
Last year, the Karnataka government launched 15 European-style sleeper buses, which are titled ‘Ambari Utsav’ buses. The buses operate between Bengaluru and Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ernakulam, Mangaluru and Pune, Bengaluru and Kundapur, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Thrissur, and Bengaluru and Panaji.
The fare for these buses has not yet been announced and is likely to be higher. Earlier, KSRTC had proposed a 15-20% hike in bus fares as the department reportedly incurs losses due to the Shakti scheme, the free bus scheme for women.