KSRTC launches luxury Airavatha service to Mumbai

The Minister for Transport, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, getting down from the Airavatha bus after inspecting it in Bangalore on Thursday. The Minister later inaugurated the Airavatha service to Mumbai and other services of the KSRTC.

Airavatha service inaugurated
The Hindu

You can now slumber your way to Mumbai on an overnight trip by KSRTC's new air-conditioned Airavatha buses from Bangalore. The route is through Pune. The service is also available to Bijapur.

The Minister for Transport, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday inaugurated this service, another Airavatha service to Bijapur, and two `Mayura' services to Sindhanur, via Gangavati and Hospet.

The KSRTC Managing Director, M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy, was present at the launch. Both tested the comfort of the seats and the plush interiors.

The Airavatha buses are air-conditioned and semi-sleeper; they have seats that recline much further back on most other long-distance buses.

There will be only 36 seats compared to 46 seats on other services; audio and television will be provided.

The buses will start from Bangalore at 5 p.m. and reach Mumbai at 12.30 p.m. the next day.

The departure from Mumbai will be at 4.30 p.m. with the bus reaching Bangalore at 1 p.m. the next day. The fare will be Rs. 975 to Mumbai and Rs. 825 to Pune, from Bangalore.

`Courtesy buses'

The KSRTC also introduced four "courtesy bus services" to and from the Kempe Gowda Bus Station (KBS) to different places in Bangalore for the convenience of passengers who have reserved tickets on long distance buses.

While the journey to KBS will be free for those reservations, for the return journey to points close to their homes, they have to pay a flat fare of Rs. 5.

Those without any reservations who want to reach KBS can also use these mini buses paying the same fare.

These buses will run between KBS and Koramangala, Chandra Layout, BTM Layout, and Padmanabhanagar.

The route details are: KBS, BMP HQ, K.H. Road, Wilson Garden, Dairy Circle, Checkpost and Koramangala. KBS, Magadi Road, Prasanna cinema, Vijayanagar, RPC Layout, Athiguppe and Chandra Layout. KBS, BMP hq., Lalbagh, South End, Jayanagar 3rd Block, East End, Ring Road and BTM Layout. KBS, BMP HQ, Lalbagh, Yediyur, Monotype factory, BDA complex, Deve Gowda petrol bunk and Padmanabhanagar.