[Journey Review] ASTC Volvo B11R I-Shift Multiaxle : Digboi - Guwahati

ASTC VOLVO B11R I-SHIFT CLICKED BY ME AT KHANAPARA, GUWAHATI 

Operator : ASTC (Assam State Transport Corporation)

Category : Volvo B11R I-Shift Multiaxle Semi Sleeper Coach

Regd Number : AS01 JC 9795

Journey Route : Digboi to Guwahati [Margherita to Guwahati] 

Road Distance : 521 Kms

Date of Journey : 30th March 2018

Departure (ASTC Digboi Bus Stand) : 19:15 hrs

Arrival (Guwahati ISBT) : 05:30 hrs

Amenities : M-Ticket Supported, USB-Charging Point, Movie Entertainment, Reading Lights, CCTV Security

Fare : Rs 971/- (including GST) 

Ticket Booking Portal : Redbus 

Journey Scheduling and Booking : 

After a nice memorable onward journey from Guwahati to Digboi on ASTC B11R Multiaxle, to experience the Volvo multiaxle coach ride on roads of Assam, it was now time for the return journey back to Guwahati. With my return ticket done at Guwahati, on Redbus platform, i was suppose to board the coach on 30th March from Digboi ASTC Bus Stand with departure time scheduled at 19:15 hrs (07:15 pm). I booked seat numbers 1 and 2 on the first row behind the coach driver (Seat number 1 and 2 encirled in red in the layout shown below).

SEATING LAYOUT OF ASTC VOLVO B11R I-SHIFT SEMI SLEEPER COACH

Journey Day :

It was the journey day on 30th March 2018. I boarded a transit auto-rickshaw from my hotel, close to Digboi ASTC Bus Stand in the evening. I reached the departure point at 18:45 hrs, 15 minutes before the scheduled reporting time at 19:00 hrs, The ASTC Bus Stand at Digboi has an old small operational office. It was inaugurated in the year 2002 byShri R Dhanowar, Ex Honorable Minister of Excise, Assam. 

FOUNDATION EMBLEM OF ASTC DIGBOI BUS STAND

Our ASTC B11R starts its journey from Margherita, a small town in Assam, around 18 kms from Digboi. While waiting for my bus back to Guwahati, I met one of my known crews from John Volvo, Mr Goswami, with his B7R parked at the Digboi Bus Stand premises. After a short chat, Goswami left with his coach for his scheduled pick up on way to Guwahati, and i waited for my multiaxle coach to arrive. 

ME WITH MR GOSWAMI, CREW - JOHN VOLVO B7R MARK 3

At around 19:13 hrs, the B11R arrived from Margherita at Digboi ASTC Bus Stand, AS01 JC 9795 had one of my known crew, Mr Joga Singh, who hails from Punjab and is currently driving in ASTC under PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode. We boarded the coach, after keeping our luggage in the luggage compartment and took our designated seats in the first row of the coach. Soon our coach departed, leaving Digboi town limits, on our way to Guwahati. The road stretch upto Makum seemed quite good, before we took the diversion to Tinsukia, at the Makum Railway Crossing. The bus had a less passenger-load on-board from Margherita, and we were the only passengers boarding from Digboi. We reached Tinsukia at 20:00 hrs, at the ASTC bus stand located in the heart of Tinsukia Town. I met Mr Sazid from ASTC Tinsukia Division here, who had contacted me while i was in Digboi, to meet me personally at Tinsukia, on my way back to Guwahati. Mr Sazid, is one of my blog followers and appreciates my work. I would like to thank him, for all the support and best wishes. After a small conversation with Mr Sazid, and the regular passenger pick up at Tinsukia, we restarted our journey hitting NH37, which was fairly maintained 2-lane single road, on way to Dibrugarh.

We reached Dibrugarh, at around 21:45 hrs. There was passenger pick up here. Dibrugarh gets a lot of passengers for Volvo Coaches as i was told by many sources. I could see a good number of people boarding from Dibrugarh. Leaving Dibrugarh, we were suppose to halt at a dinner break at Sepon, Moran. When we reached at the hotel  for the dinner break, the bus crew noted that the parking was full and no space was left for this bus to park at the hotel. The authorities too didnt seem to co-operate. The bus crew decided not to halt at the hotel for dinner break and they moved on. The crew seemed confused about the other alternative for dinner break and they started calling their controller for alternate options. Soon we crossed Sibsagar and Jorhat, but the crew didnt stop for the dinner break nor for proper bio-break. I was hungry, but since i felt sleepy, i dozed off to sleep, to wake up near Kaziranga. The highway stretch here is better and well maintained than the Upper Assam stretch. We soon overtook some 2+1 coaches of Network and Blue Hill Travels. It was around 02:40 hrs in the morning. I had some cookies, which i generally carry while i undertake long journeys on buses. The factory fitted front sunscreens were pulled down, due to which there was no healdlight glare of the incoming traffic, which i felt during the onward journey on the other coach, to Digboi. The highway being a 2-lane single road, the headlight glare of the incoming traffic causes problem for not only to the driver of the coach but also for the front row passengers, in case there is no curtain shield. Finally at around 03:00 hrs, early morning, the B11R coach stopped at a hotel at Jakhalabandha - the same hotel where we had a dinner break during our onward journey to Digboi. 03:00 hrs in the morning seemed too odd to have anything for dinner, as it was no more dinner time. Passengers looked in a complaining mood, and most of them complained the driver of the coach in regards to the same. The driver crew seemed to be without any proper answers. This is a major lapse on behalf of ASTC regarding the passenger service on-board the coach. They should have thought about the appropriate dinner time and could have managed to stop at some alternate hotel or restaurant for the dinner break near Moran or Sibsagar. While they kept the passengers hungry, they didnt even cared to stop for a proper bio-break, keeping in mind there were lady passengers on board too.

ASTC VOLVO B11R I-SHIFT MULTIAXLE SEMI SLEEPER AT JAKHALABANDHA, ASSAM

ASTC VOLVO B11R I-SHIFT MULTIAXLE SEMI SLEEPER AT JAKHALABANDHA, ASSAM

After half an hour break at Jakhalabandha, we headed towards Guwahati again. The road stretch on NH37 was fairly good, till we reached Nagaon bypass from where the 4-lane highway starts to Guwahati. We overtook the Digboi John Volvo B7R near the bypass. We crossed Jagiroad at the break of dusk, cruising finally to climb the Jorabat hilly terrain in the morning. The climate outside seemed cold as it there was heavy rain, the night before. The greenary of the picturesque Jorabat Hills bordering Meghalaya welcomed me early morning to Guwahati.

ASTC VOLVO B11R CRUISING THROUGH THE 4 LANE JORABAT HIGHWAY SECTION

The overall driving of Mr Joga Singh, looked sedate and well skilled. We reached Khanapara, crossing the Shillong diversion at around 06:00 hrs followed by the Digboi origin John Volvo B7R. There was a passenger drop at Khanapara, as we headed towards Guwahati ISBT, the final drop point at Guwahati. We got down at Guwahati ISBT at 06:15 hrs., after 11 hours journey since we boarded the coach at Digboi, covering 521 Kms. I bid goodbye to my known crew before boarding my Uber-X to home. It was a good end to the to-and-fro ASTC Volvo B11R Journeys between Guwahati - Digboi - Guwahati, with a pleasant experience of travelling again on the roads of Assam after almost a decade.

Summary and Ratings :

Crew : Well behaved Crew. Expected them in uniform, I hope ASTC takes care that their crew must be in uniform. It cultivates a professional culture. The crew could have stopped at a convenient time for dinner break, during the journey. 3 am in the morning is insensible to stop for a dinner break. It was an utter negligence on part of the crew service from ASTC. The coach didnt even stop for a proper bio-break upto 3 am, keeping in mind there are lady passengers on the coach. Negative points for that. Rating : 2.75/5

Bus Maintenance : Well maintained B11R Multiaxle Coach. Excellent maintenance, both exteriors and interiors. Good decorum maintained inside the bus. USB charging ports kept 'ON' throughout the journey. I wish they will provide complimentary drinking water bottles and blankets soon for passenger convenience. Rating : 4/5

Speeding : Sedate and Safe driving at 60 - 70 kmph. No unrequired overtakes. No honking horns unnecessarily at night. Good use of deepers throughout the night journey. Rating 5/5

Overall Rating : 3.92 / 5

Conclusion and Feedback :

It was nice return journey experience on ASTC B11R multiaxle from Digboi to Guwahati. The only negative remark i have is about the awkward dinner break at 3 am at Jakhalabandha, which was a total inconvenience caused to the on-board passengers. This is a lag on part of the crew service. I hope ASTC authorities will take this into account as a feedback, so that such unrequired incidents doesnt get repeated again. The journey was comfortable onboard the coach. Bus was well maintained with clean interiors.

Will I recommend the operator on this route : YES!! but provided dinner break is on time.

Thanks for reading my review.

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