Going Places, in Cool Comfort

Long distance cruises by road was never been so convenient as it is today, thanks to the innovations incorporated into such buses by the body-builders spread all over the country. Today buses packed with an array of comfort providing features are visibly plying through the Highways and the arterial roads of the State. On the contrary, until the past couple of years, these aesthetically designed buses were the exclusive visual features of the National Highways outside the State. In Kerala, these buses operated for name's sake in the long distance routes linking the Capital with major cities like Chennai, Mangalore, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Mumbai. Conglomerates housed in Bangalore or Coimbatore operated the services. 

One could have only visualized the presence of such lively and colourful buses only in photographs that came from outside the country or in English films. However, things have changed drastically and today even rural localities boast of manufacturing bases that are capable of designing any form of bus bodies to the taste of the consumers. The primary attractive feature of such buses is its eye-catching colouring patterns. Very bright colours are used to paint these buses, which is then further duly supplemented with appealing graphic designs spread all over the body work.

Unheard Facilities

Regarding the available list of facilities squeezed into the interiors, these smart mobiles can easily be compared to an aircraft. Not only are the cabins designed aesthetically, they are also air-conditioned, with the seats, all reclinable, and paddled with plush leather soft upholstery. While the video display systems go in accordance with the latest available technology, the audio features are configured in studio quality settings commanding even a power output of 10000 watts. The windows are further complemented with high quality toughened glass and the internal ambience can be rated as only spectacular. The designs put forward by the big body building houses like the Dilip Chhabria Design Pvt. Ltd. (D C Coaches) show off of several added features like superior paint finish using imported 2k grade paints. They also claim their buses to be benchmarked to high European standards and are five years ahead of any other make in the Country. Further, the complex process of a car design and development is shared in the design of buses here.

Technology to the Core 

The lighting systems of the new generation buses are indigenously developed which are proprietary, providing highly detailed, complex, and futuristic appeals and performance. The doors of all buses stand in tune with the times, most of them resembling aircraft doors. All the developments are possible because of the advanced manufacturing facilities employed in all establishments like in house vacuum forming, metal machine shop, wood pattern shop, metal forming MIG welding, spot welding, rust proofing/powder coating and integrated paint shop. Skilled technicians coupled with the latest technology, derived out of computerized visualizing and testing facilities, lead the way. The D C Coaches establishment has with them a state-of-art design wing covering 2000 sq. feet, which is manned by a team of trained design engineers. They also use the best software available in the industry for bus designing. Solid modeling and rapid prototyping techniques are used for conversion of concept into three-dimensional physical form. The individual components are developed through in-house digitizing and high end surfacing techniques. 

In addition to the D C Coach manufacturing group, others like the Sutlej Industries of Punjab, Prakash, Azad, Moosa (Bangalore), various industries in Indore, Karur (Tamilnadu), Rajasthan, Kerala etc are all actively concentrating in building beautiful bus bodies.

In Tune with the Times

Leaving aside the cosmetic changes, there are any numbers of attractions in the mechanical components of the vehicles. Earlier the chassis manufacturers distributed truck cowls in the disguise of bus bases with minor changes. These changes were strictly confined to the shape of the front grill, minor modifications in the fuel pump system, spring leaves and the differential wheel. A little more speed was the only difference that separated the then bus chassis from the truck chassis. These chassis created terrible situations for long distance cruises since the heavy spring leaves set worked steadily as if supporting huge loads. Remember, they were really measured out to hold huge tonnages of truckloads, a fact that was deliberately forgotten by the manufacturers. The result was the over jolting of the rear side, which virtually threw the passengers seated in the rear seats up. The body manufacturers contributed their own share by escalating the number of spring leaves to increase tyre mileage, at the expense of passenger comfort. Passenger comfort, strangely enough, was a fact that was unheard of in the bus industry until the past few years.

Passengers at the Receiving End

It was with the country's strategic shift to the new liberalized economic stature that the bus companies thought of remodeling their vehicles. This occurred in face of the anticipated threat of the entry of foreign bus manufacturers into the domestic market. However, some bus companies, mainly from Japan have earlier entered into manufacturing tie-ups with localized firms. Nevertheless, the outcome of these ventures did not proceed in the advantageous direction because of unknown facts. It was with the entry of Volvo buses from Sweden that local manufacturers resorted to go in for the latest technologies. Now the bus chassis come out with sophisticated suspension systems and driver friendly controls. Power steering has become the order of the day and air suspension is the option available to enhance journey comfort. The passengers now stand at the receiving end and a time may soon arrive, when a commoner can buy a straight bus ticket to New Delhi, rejoicing in a cool and homely atmosphere. 


S Gopakumar 


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