In just a few months of launching IntrCity SmartBus by RailYatri, we’ve been showered by love and appreciation by our ever valuable customers. While we’ve garnered positive feedback from each and every strata of the society, we’re glad that students, daughters of our society, housewives and the elderly have embraced our services in huge numbers. In addition to simply expressing our gratitude for your affection, we’d also like to take a step further and promise you yet again that we will keep improving our offerings and will try our best to bring a smile on your face each time you hop on RailYatri.
In this blog, we are sharing the stories of 5 individuals from different regions, belonging to different age groups and professions who took the first step, trusted us once and now rest their faith in IntrCity SmartBus service by RailYatri. Read on…
Panja Singh (57), Farmer, Chandigarh
“More than me, my mother trusts IntrCity”
We have to travel to Delhi frequently as I am getting my aged mother treated at AIIMS since 2017. Whenever doctor asks, we have to go for her check-up, but I don’t remember even a single time we managed to get a confirmed train ticket in the last two years. You can’t plan a medical journey in advance. For us, it was a double whammy. First of all, the dependency on the government hospitals for appointment and second of all getting wait-listed or RAC train tickets every time. At my age, I can still manage but for my ailing mother, it was a nightmare. State road transport buses are in a shoddy state. First you have to give others a tough fight to be able to reach the booking counter and even if you get a ticket, the journey is extremely uncomfortable. The last time we took a bus, I remember, it was raining and there was leakage from the ceiling and the corners of the windows as the glasses were broken. The staff was so ill-behaved that on complaining, they started abusing us only. My mother’s condition worsened further. And to be able to get one berth in the train so that me and my mother can at least sit through the journey, we had to bribe the TC every time. I know this is sad, but true.
With IntrCity SmartBuses, we can get a confirmed seat even if we book at the last minute. My daughter-in-law Prabhpreet easily books our tickets with her smartphone. The seats are big and comfortable, they’re extremely punctual and urinals within the coach is a huge add-on, especially for my mother. There are many more features like clean linen, non-stop journey, etc which make the journey comfortable and easy. Above all, the on-board staff is really hospitable which makes the journey absolute delightful. More than me, my mother trusts IntrCity by RailYatri.
Bhimsen Rawat (46), Timber Merchant, Delhi
“the buses have everything – comfortable train-like berths, CCTV, GPS, INFOTAINMENT, clean-well packed linen & on time guarantee.”
I have to travel to Manali almost every week. Firstly there are a few timber suppliers whom I have to meet for my business and now also because my daughter Pritha has recently gotten through an engineering college there. Before you say – “Manali, every week? badhiya hai”, let me tell you, it became the pain of my life. You cannot pre-plan in either case. You have to rush if you have a problem with your supplier and you again have to rush if your child needs your attention. Life was becoming weird. And how long can you keep booking tatkal tickets? Or go through the anxiety around wait-listed and RAC tickets? Even though I’d feel guilty of doing this, I had no other option but to pay the train TC a little extra and buy a berth for myself. But that wasn’t a sure shot solution every time. Sometimes I also happened to meet strict and honest TCs and I won’t like to remember those journeys spent either near the staircase or interspaces between the toilets. With a chronic back-bone condition, taking up a state road transport bus was a strict no-no for me. Who’d risk taking such a long journey on those unmaintained buses? No one knows when they’d break down and if you’ll be able to get any means of transport for your onward journey? They’re so badly kept that most of the seats would not stay in their place and recline automatically. From serving some local bottled water to non-functional AC vents, they have all the problems in the world.
Just last month my one of my neighbor’s shared a link via WhatsApp. It was about IntrCity SmartBus by RailYatri and wow, the buses had everything from large, comfortable train-like berths to CCTV, GPS tracking, in-bus urinals, infotainment, mineral water bottles, clean-well packed linen and biggest of all – on time guarantee. They refund half your money if the bus is delayed by more than 30 minutes. I pounced at the opportunity, thank god, I did! Now not just I, but I and Pritha’s mom take the IntrCity SmartBus by RailYatri to go meet our daughter and next week being Pritha’s birthday, I’ve got 5 tickets booked for her and her friends. They’re all coming home to celebrate her special day with us. Thank you RailYatri!
Tara Sharma (51), Housewife, Lucknow
“IntrCity takes me to my daughter every week”
World may know it by the name of IntrCity but for me, it is my ‘Sankatmochak’. We have one child, my daughter Dhriti, who got a job in Delhi last year. In the last one year, she must’ve asked me to visit her at least 3600 times and how many times was I able to go? Just once. I booked train tickets twice, but had to cancel it. First time, the waiting list was so long that it’d take years to confirm and second time I booked well in advance, got a confirmed ticket too, but just a day before my travel my husband fell ill. Even though he kept pushing me to go, how could I? Who’d have taken care of his medicines, food and everything? Last month Dhriti surprised me. No she didn’t visit herself, but booked bus tickets for me. Initially I was skeptical of travelling alone, that too on a bus but she told me a few of her friends’ mothers have also traveled via IntrCity SmartBus by RailYatri and they loved the experience. You have hygienic washrooms, CCTV, GPS tracking, clean blankets and linen and the seats are big & comfortable. That day and today, I’ve not missed a single weekend. Yes, IntrCity takes me to my daughter every week.
Savitri Kumari Chawla (61), Retired Bank Officer, Kanpur
“I can be as unplanned as possible, and still manage to get a confirmed berth. my family is happy as they can track my journey via gps”
After retiring as a bank manager last year, I thought of starting all over again and opened my own boutique. All the shopping was done from Delhi-Chandni Chowk. That’s where you get raw materials and latest collection of suits at wholesale prices but the biggest problem was commute. Train was the last option as you wouldn’t know when the need to travel would arise and travelling on state road transport buses was nothing less than a nightmare as they aren’t properly maintained. Most of them are in a bad shape. Leave aside passengers, in most cases, the driver’s seat is in a bad shape, glass windows are broken, you have to breathe dust during the entire journey. It’s really unhygienic. What adds to passengers’ woes is the ill-behaved and extremely corrupt staff. They stop wherever they want to pick more customers. People are seated even on the floors. All this makes passengers, especially women, elderly and children quite uneasy. Above all, there’s no mechanism to register your complaint.
Read about Intrcity Smartbus by RailYatri in the newspaper and gave it a try. Now, I travel to Delhi twice, almost every week. I can be as unplanned as possible, and still manage to get a confirmed berth, the sleeper berths are as comfy as the one on trains, my family is happy as they can keep a track as my journey progresses, WiFi on board helps me keep connected with them as well, there’s a toilet which makes me further confident of traveling in a bus, super well behaved, well trained staff, convenient pick-up and drop-off points, and what not. It’s a complete house on wheels. I feel less tired and despite so much travel, I feel fresh as ever. It won’t be wrong to say – IntrCity has given wings to my dreams. Business has almost doubled as I restock twice in a week. Newer designs and bigger collection means more customers and increased sales.
Ramya KV (23), MA 1st Year Student, Bangalore
“great concept! It isn’t just smart, it is easy, quick, safe and comfortable. the staff is extra ordinarily hospitable, kind and courteous.”
I scored well in my Grad finals and got through one of the prestigious colleges in Bangalore this year. This is the first time I’ve moved out of my city and away from my family. Obviously I miss home, appa and especially amma. Traffic conditions aren’t too good, that’s why appa doesn’t allow me to get my car. Whenever I ask him, he tells me – “Try to manage for the first year, take the car when the final year starts”, he says. I know he cares, so he makes these excuses. Why would I need the car in the final year when I’ll be mostly busy with my internship and final examination preparation? And he thinks I don’t understand.
Even though Chennai and Bangalore are not too far, commuting has remained a huge issue here, especially for female students. The state road transport corporation buses are in pathetic state and so are their staff members. Incidents of misbehavior, harassment, unscheduled stoppage, over-filling of buses, etc. is very common. There are so many private operators but the segment remains largely unregulated, hence most commuters face issues like overcharging, badly maintained buses, breach of promise, and lack of facilities within the bus. Amma came across this news piece about IntrCity SmartBus Service by RailYatri, called me and said, “You stay near Bommasandra right? Download the app and book an IntrCity SmartBus by RailYatri.” Amma’s order was my command. I did as asked to do and believe me, Amma was right. IntrCity is a great concept. It is not just smart, it is easy, quick, safe and really comfortable. Know what, Appa could easily track my entire journey through his smartphone. Coaches are CCTV enabled, they are very particular about time and the staff is extra ordinarily hospitable, kind and courteous. On-board infotainment and free WiFi made my journey complete and delightful. I’ve already traveled home a few times, now it’s time for Appa and Amma to come to Bangalore.
Have queries or your SmartBus story to share? Reach out to us on feedback@railyatri.in. We’re waiting…
