Assam got two new Volvo B-11R multi-axle I-Shift buses which will be run by John Travels under the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.
John Travels, the oldest Volvo bus service operator in the Northeast becomes the first private bus operator in the region to start the state-of-the-art multi-axle coach service. The company has invested Rs 2.8 crore to procure the buses.
The buses were flagged off by Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) Managing Director Anand Prakash Tiwari from ASTC, Paltan Bazar, Guwahati.
John Travels will operate the buses from ISBT Guwahati to Digboi. The overnight journey of around 500 km will be completed in 9-10 hours. The buses will leave here at 8.20pm. The return journey from Digboi will start at 7pm. The Guwahati-Digboi fare is Rs 910.
Launching the buses, Tiwari said, “I am happy to flag off the first multi-axle Volvo buses to be operated by the ASTC in a PPP mode with John Travels. Since January this year, the ASTC has started super luxury services to various places in Assam and the number of such vehicles has been increasing. We welcome more local entrepreneurs to start similar luxury services and will extend all possible assistance to them.”
Mercedes luxury bus service will be started from next month.
John Travels owner Pranjal Dutta said the company has also started a Volvo daily night service between Tinsukia and Dibrugarh, and to the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati.
From leg-rest pillow, neck cushions to comfortable seats, (larger and higher in size than the regular seats) to 2×2 seating pattern with more leg space. Complementary water bottles, two television sets, switch panels to alert bus conductors, mobile charging USB points in each row, fire extinguisher are some of the facilities the customers will be provided.