I had booked a ticket for Tirunelveli to Bangalore in SRS travels on 14 October 2014 in Multi Axle Volvo semi sleeper.
A day before the commencement of the journey I was told that there would be no service available for the reserved coach instead I was asked to travel in Kulashekharam - Bangalore AC sleeper departing Tirunelveli at 9 PM. I was allotted an upper berth.
I had one piece of luggage with me and as I approached the bus at Tirunelveli bus stand I was told by the conductor of the bus that I cannot put my luggage in the luggage compartment of the bus and I need to take my luggage inside the bus.
As I entered the bus and saw my berth, I could hardly find any space to keep the luggage either under the lower berth or on the upper berth. When I explained the situation and requested the bus staff to open the luggage compartment of the bus they refused to oblige and started abusing me in Tamil.Possibly they were carrying some parcel to make more money denying the genuine passengers to keep the luggage in the luggage compartment.
It seems that only those who know Tamil can survive to travel in such a bus. I was wondering that although the Bus was proceeding to Bangalore they were refusing to talk in English, Hindi or Kannada. They were arrogant and non-cooperative. Finally I was forced to keep the luggage on my berth and travel in an awkward position straining my both upper and lower limbs.
On entering the bus we get a feeling that we have been taken as hostages and the Driver and conductor treat us like that we are unwanted and they are doing us a great favour by taking us to our destination. Further although the SRS travels notifies in its website that this bus service reaches Bangalore at 0600h. When we ask their staff in the bus they tell us that the time to reach Bangalore is 0800h. Finally it reached at 0830hrs.There was no point communicating with the driver or their staff as they were hooligans disguised as the staff of SRS travels.
This is another way of cheating the passengers by the SRS travels. During the journey the driver stops the bus whenever and wherever he feels like. But when the old passengers ask for a break to relieve themselves he abuses them in the language known to him.This only shows how much the SRS values the comfort of the passengers. They only know how to make money and leave the helpless passengers to the mercy of their "Terrorist staff".