MSRTC's New King Long!

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I saw the first new "Certia" KL6113 bus from MSRTC on the road some two months back. I've been trying to get them on my camera since then. Yesterday, while driving back from Panvel after a nice railfanning session, I saw one right in front of me -waiting for me to picture her!

Here she goes:





The bus was working a Dadar-Pune schedule. The bus was named "Shivneri" MSRTC's Flag ship brand for their Volvo buses. I was pleasently surprised on seeing the bus! The bus is probably on lease to MSRTC (looks so from the number - MSRTC buses are never registered at the Vashi RTO, but always bear "MH11, 12, 20, 31 or 40" marks!).

King Long (under their "Cerita" Brand in India) seem to be making good in roads into Maharashtra. Even reviews seem to give a thumbs up to this bus and are rated at par with a Volvo! I'm yet to travel in one of these - I would reserve my opinion till then!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Certainly not upto Volvo standards. I'd seen the bus earlier and envied not having a reservation for it but yesterday's travel I've made up my mind not to travel by KL anymore. These buses by MSRTC though named Shivneri, are similar to the Mahabus versions - wherein the bus is owned by a private operator (guess that explains the Vashi registration) and the supposed to be "Captain" is in blue-uniform (indicating one hired by the operator and not employed with MSRTC actually).

As for the bus, the comfort (read leg-space) is half that on the Volvos making travel for me and my fiance a pain (both having around 180cms of height). The driver was rash considering the fact that the actual Volvo drivers who are employed with MSRTC are lot better - I owe this to the fact that Volvo drivers are trained at the Volvo corporation which is certainly missing with the Chinese KL buses.

On the positive side, the bus has a very decent paintjob, the interiors are better than Volvo, the driver's controls seem like that of a cockpit with digital odometers, ABS indicator etc.

Summing it up, surely one to ride once on but I'd never travel again by KL - a word of caution here, for the MSRTC reservation centres, KL and Volvos are the same - so you may end up on a KL instead of Volvo as promised to you by the reservation counter.
27 January 2008 at 13:58:00 GMT+5:30
. said…
Hi
Can I use your Shivneri Pics on my volvo blog at travelbyvolvo.blogspot.com?

If yes, just leave a comment on my blog and i will be more than happy to give credit to your blog for using the pic
16 July 2008 at 20:32:00 GMT+5:30
Unknown said…
but in msrtc volvo buses,there are only mh 12,mh43.mh14,and mh 04 passing no. are their ..their is neither mh 20 nor mh 40..
17 May 2010 at 23:21:00 GMT+5:30
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