Reiterates commitment towards passenger welfare
VRL Travels, a pioneer in the travel industry, launched its new fleet of Volvo I-Shift 9400XL B9R and 9400PX B11R buses on the Jodhpur, Jalore and Mumbai routes from Bengaluru on April 1. The new buses introduced are a part of VRL’s fleet expansion with 51 new Volvo Buses.
In the first phase, VRL has replaced its old Volvo B9R multiaxles on the Jodhpur and Jalore routes with the new Volvo B9R multiaxle I-Shift automated Manual Transmission (AMT) buses. It has also introduced five Volvo B11R I-Shift AMT Services connecting Bengaluru with Mumbai.
Speaking about the strategy to ply long-distance buses covering almost 2,000 km to Rajasthan, Mr. Prasanna, AGM, VRL, observed: “VRL is a pioneer in long-distance services such as the newly-launched ones connecting Bengaluru to Jodhpur and Jalore. Bengaluru has a sizeable population from Rajasthan who represent the business and trade community. Getting train tickets urgently is not always so easy. Introducing Volvo multiaxle services not only helped in ensuring good connectivity, but also guaranteed reaching the destinations almost 12 hours ahead of train schedules.”
He further said he is very optimistic about these long-distance services from VRL, with Volvo buses which have the advanced technical features.
The new Volvos
The 13.7 mtr Volvo B9R 9400XL I-Shift features a D9B 340HP, 6 Cylinder inline, BS-III 9-litre Volvo rear diesel engine with a turbo charger. The compact design of the D9B engine helps to carry an increased payload. The Volvo D9B 340 conforms to the BS-III standards and features the Volvo Engine Management System (EMS2), which provides efficient and precise engine control. It has air-suspension system, floor-based luggage space, frontal impact protection (FIP) and front under-run protection (FUP) safety systems. The hydraulic retarder of the coach complements the normal braking, which reduces wear on the brake lining.
The Volvo B9R coach also comes with EBS Disc Brake System and is an electronically operated type anti-lock disc brake system which is integrated to the vehicle’s electronic system. While the 14.5 mtr Volvo B11R 9400PX I-Shift features a powerful in-line six cylinder 11-litre Volvo D11A 370HP rear engine with an overhead cam shaft, four valves per cylinder and precisely controlled electronic injectors meeting the BS-III standards. The various engine functions are entirely controlled by EMS 2 which provides efficient and precise engine control.
A distinct feature of the Volvo B11R 9400PX variant is the steerable-tag rear axle. The hydraulically steered tag axle provides vastly improved manoeuvrability, making it particularly useful in congested traffic and winding stretches on highways. Apart from the sophisticated technical features, VRL have installed CCTV cameras for passenger security inside the coach. The coaches also have factory-fitted rear view cameras that give a wide rear view while using the reverse gear and in monitoring the rear traffic on highways.
On the selection of Volvo as a brand option, Mr. Prasanna said that Volvo buses are in India from a long time and are adapted to the Indian conditions. “I feel Volvo has a good driveline, which provides enhanced gradeability and acceleration as well as enhanced stability, which is ideally suited for long-distance travel. Moreover a good aftersales service and availability of parts make VRL a loyal and trusted customer of Volvo. The VRL Volvo Service to Rajasthan covers cities like Surat and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, and Abu Road, Ahori, Sanderao, Pali, etc., in Rajasthan, due to which our services are preferred by people. Apart from Railways, air connectivity also proves costly, so our VRL Volvo services prove an economical way to reach Gujarat and Rajasthan easily.”
In order to maintain the buses covering such long routes, VRL gives utmost importance to fleet maintenance. It has midway hubs with spare buses in case of any breakdowns. The hubs are located at Chitradurga, Hubballi, Belagavi, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The buses are monitored with GPS units from VRL’s control room at Varur, Hubballi, 24 hours a day. VRL’s customer care services at Hubballi also attend to passengers for service and help related queries. Under the company policy, VRL presently has 65 per cent buses with GPS and is working towards making its entire fleet monitored under GPS connectivity.
VRL trains its drivers in a customized and efficient way. For Volvo coaches, apart from a 7-day certificate coaching at the Volvo Workshop at Hoskote, Bengaluru, VRL trains its Volvo drivers at Varur. Such trainings are also conducted at Bengaluru and Mysore workshops.
VRL has state-of-the-art workshop facilities at its Varur unit for fleet maintenance. It includes eight bus ramps, in-house fabrication facilities for seats and beds, in-house service centres, OEM stores for spareparts, in-house diesel dispensary units, fully equipped body building and maintenance facility, in-house electronics department for entertainment, comfort and security devices, wheel alignment system, and paint and fibre department for exterior maintenance.
Committed to passengers
Mr. Prasanna further observed: “We do keep in mind the state of the passenger on our long-distance services. We ensure a bio-break in 300-400 km and a lunch / tea break at every 6-8 hours of the journey. This reduces stress and fatigue caused to the passengers during a long journey”.
With these services, VRL Travels has an edge over its competitors, especially on the Mumbai and Rajasthan routes. It generally stops at vegetarian hotels, keeping in mind its passengers choice. It has separate seat booking facility for the convenience of lady passengers.
Discussing VRL’s future plans and growth, Mr. Prasanna referred to the proposed expansion with more routes, but the hiking of tax by the Government is causing a major hindrance for growth in the private sector.
“Apart from 51 Volvo buses, we have a plan to include Ashok Leyland buses which will be either sleeper or sleeper-cum-seater buses, which will make the total intake of new buses at 125, within one year”.
On plans to expand in new territories in future like Madhya Pradesh, more areas in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Odisha, he said: “We have plans, but we at the VRL Group want to grow sustainably as a company with our deep-routed values of commitment, loyalty and service”.