KOCHI: Passengers expecting a comfortable journey on KSRTC's new AC Premium Superfast bus were left flummoxed the other day. The journey saw a downgrade as a Centrum low-floor bus was brought in as a replacement. Passengers were left soaking in sweat for a horrible four-hour journey to the capital city.

The passengers supposed to board the premium superfast bus from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram at 3 pm on Friday went through this severe ordeal for more than four hours. The return journey of the premium bus that reached Ernakulam from Thampanoor was disrupted due to a technical fault. A Centrum low-floor AC bus was brought in as a replacement from the Ernakulam depot.

Passengers were disappointed when they saw the old Centrum bus arriving at the Vyttila Mobility Hub at 3.30 pm, 20 minutes late.

Most passengers booked the premium ticket expecting pushback seats and cool air conditioning. Many were ready to compromise on the pushback seats, but alas, the trouble doubled as the air conditioning in the bus faltered. Despite the AC fan rotating, no cool air came out, leaving many passengers incensed. As the protests intensified, the conductor tried to arrange a replacement bus by contacting his superiors in Thiruvananthapuram, but it was not possible as there was no spare bus at the Kottayam depot.

The only saving grace throughout the ride was the strong rainfall, which soothed tensions a bit. KSRTC's AC Premium Superfast service was launched last year to provide a better travel experience to passengers at a lower cost. There are 10 premium buses, including three spares, operating seven schedules from the Thampanoor depot to various parts of Kerala. The Centrum low-floor bus, allocated as a replacement, is one of the 24 buses operating in Ernakulam.