I had the misfortune of travelling by VRL Sleeper bus from Bangalore to Mumbai on 24th May, 2014 reaching Mumbai on 25th May, 2014. Ticket No. Ticket no: TG6A38725592 PNR No. PNR no: 456!2396666~1790132 Booked through Red Bus.in A travel which should have started at 06:30 PM on 24/5 and end by 03.00 PM on 25/5, has taken more than 24 hours.
Bus started from Bangalore at about 08.30 PM and reached almost by 08.00 PM next day. The lack of service relates to the following points:
1. The Bus was supposed to start from Kalasipalayam by 06.30 PM but we were bundled into another bus at around 07.15PM and "transported" to Ananda Rao Cicle Depot of VRL and from there some bus was taken and hurriedly prepared and we were asked to board the bus. Ultimately the bus started only around 08.30PM from Ananda Rao Circle, Bangalore to Mumbai.
2. The us was very slow and not moving fast enough to keep up the time schedule of reaching Mumbai by 02.30 PM. Driver and his assistant were mum about the queries made by Passengers.
3. In the morning at around 08.00 AM when the Bus was outside Kolhapur and travelling towards Pune, Air Conditioning failed and we were suffocating in the bus. The Bus personnel were clueless about the problem. They were not at all heeding to the cries of discomfort of the Passengers, they even did not give the telephone number of their Office in Pune so that we can complain.
I spent horrible time travelling in VRL Bus Ac Sleeper from Bangalore to Mumbai. I give my ratings of the VRL Bus service in their own Passenger Feedback form: ==OVERALL EXPERIENCE WITH SERVICE FACILITY==
**HORRIBLE** ==HOW WOULD YOU RATE VRL COMPARED TO
OTHER ORGNS. PROVIDING SIMILAR SERVICE IN OUR PLACE==
**NASTY** ==HOW WOULD YOU RATE QUALITY OF SERVICE==
**VERY VERY POOR**
==RATE BUS INTERIOR/EXTERIOR==
**HORRIBLE** The bus was hurriedly prepared/cleaned before our eyes in Ananda Rao Circle Depot of VRL. The bus must have come from a trip just then and the same bus was again sent on a long trip from Bangalore to Mumbai. ==HOW DO YOU RATE CREW MEMBERS==
**HIGHLY INCOMPETENT AND VERY CUNNING** ALL THE TIME THE CREW WAS BEHAVING IN A MANNER TO GET RID OF THE COMPLAINING CUSTOMER RATHER THAN TO REDRESS THE GRIEVANCE.** ==IF THERE WERE ANY DELAY HOW WAS IT HANDLED==
**MOST INCOMPETENTLY** There appears to be no policy known to the Employees as to what should be done if there is a Bus break down or AC not working. They were putting on a show of contacting several numbers by their Cells, God only knows whether they are really contacting anybody or trained to appear to be talking to somebody only to appease the Passenger
==WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO TRAVEL AGAIN BY VRL==
**NEVER AGAIN**
==WOULD YOU RECOMMEND OUR SERVICE TO OTHERS==
**I SHALL NEVER RECOMMEND VRL EVEN TO MY BITTEREST ENEMY**
==WAS THE INFORMATION REQUIRED BY YOU PROVIDED BY VRL TRAVELS STAFF== **THEY NEVER PROVIDED. THEY DID NOT EVEN PROVIDE THE PHONE NUMBER OF THEIR OWN PUNE OFFICE WHEN WE WANTED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AC FAILURE NEAR KOLHAPUR. I PRESUME STAFF ARE TRAINED NOT TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION TO HELP CUSTOMER TO COMPLAIN.** ==WAS THE STAFF COURTEOUS AND KNOWLEDGEABLE==
**VERY CUNNING. THEIR MAIN MOTTO IS SOMEHOW DISPOSE OFF THE PASSENGER RATHER THAN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM VOICED BY HIM**
==WAS THE JOURNEY COMFORTABLE==
**HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITHOUT AC FROM KOLHAPUR TO MUMBAI. A TRAVEL WHICH SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ABOUT 18-19 HOURS TOOK ALMOST 24 HOURS. JUST IMAGINE TO TRAVEL IN A AC SLEEPER BUS WITHOUT AC.**
==OVER ALL QUALITY==
**VRL DOES NOT HAVE ANY RIGHT TO ASK ABOUT QUALITY WITH SUCH KIND OF BUSES WITH POOR MAINTENANCE**
**OTHER OBSERVATIONS:**=
1. It is learnt that the buses were plyed without giving any rest for maintenance and hence the AC failed and the bus was running very slow, so slow that even MSRTC Passenger buses were overtaking it. I have seen the bus being prepared hurriedly in Bangalore Anand Rao Circle depot of VRL.
Crew were running helter-skelter bringing new blankets etc. and cleaning the bus, which might have just returned from a trip. The bus was not properly cleaned at all.
2. VRL is so greedy that they stop only at their hotels and restaurants where the food quality is less said the better. When I am travelling by AC Class, I expect the bus to be stopped for food at a decent hotel and not at some way side hotel, where the bus crew get free meals.
3. Purchased the ticket through Red Bus and the management of Red Bus gives a link in their web site to Mouthshut.com so that the passengers can read the reviews and then decide to purchase the tickets.
I hope VRL sees this review and take corrective steps **IF THEY ARE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT TAKING PASSENGER FEEDBACK AND THE SAME IS NOT AN EYE WASH**.
** I SHALL NEVER AGAIN TRAVEL BY VRL BUS SERVICE EVEN IF IT IS THE ONLY BUS AVAILABLE TO HEAVEN.=**