Old Red KSRTC Ordinary Bus RAE 659 at Kottayam

An old red KSRTC ordinary bus rumbles along its way on the MC Road near Thellakom in Kottayam, Kerala. The bus no RAE659 of Erattupetta depot was on its way from Kottayam to Erattupetta via Pala. Ordinary buses stop are at the “entry level” in the class hierarchy of KSRTC with them stopping at all stops. All KSRTC ordinary buses were once painted in this old colour scheme of red with a narrow yellow band. These buses are no longer common as nowadays ordinary buses sport the white and sky blue “Venad” livery. KSRTC’s erstwhile Edappal regional workshop built the RAE 659 during its heydays in 2011 and it debuted as a Fast Passenger bus with the Erattupetta depot. Here is a photo of it from 2011 when it was brand new and here is another from 2014. The RAE 659 was converted into an Ordinary bus in 2021 after ten years of service, and it will remain so until its end of life around 2026. these old red KSRTC Ordinary buses often evoke quite a bit of nostalgia in Kerala. Its surroundings, cluttered with private cars, fade away when it approaches.