Bangalore:
Karnataka on Tuesday introduced the country's longest bus, at 14.5 metres and including a pantry and toilet facilities, to ply the 130 km between the state capital and the city of palaces, Mysore.
Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister R. Ashoka launched the trial run of the multi-axle Volvo bus built at the Swedish firm's manufacturing plant in Hoskote near Bangalore.
Ashoka said the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) plans to operate this bus service between Bangalore and Chennai after the feedback from passengers on the service between Bangalore and Mysore.
Akash Passey, chairman of board of Volvo Buses in India, said the new bus was "a global introduction from India, and has been developed keeping in mind the evolving customer, passenger and driver needs in India".
Though 14.5m long, the bus "offers almost the same maneuverability as a typical coach", he said.