New buses have arrived under the ongoing modernisation drive of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). The first to be rolled out were Super Fast and Fast Passenger services, followed by Sleeper, Sleeper-cum-Seater, Premium Seater, and Fast Passenger Link buses.

While most of these were intended for long-distance operations, KSRTC has now brought in new buses specifically for rural services. For this purpose, Eicher mini-buses have been introduced as "Ordinary" services. Built on an 8.5-meter chassis from Eicher, the body of the buses were manufactured by Audi Automobiles. The vehicles feature a red and white combination along with LED destination boards at both the front and rear. Meanwhile, the exact seating capacity is yet to be disclosed.

Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar had earlier announced that KSRTC would procure buses from Tata, Ashok Leyland, and Eicher. Tata buses have been deployed in the Super Fast and Fast Passenger categories, while Leyland’s 13.5-metre chassis models are being used for inter-state operations. In addition, 15.5-metre-long Volvo buses are expected to join the fleet soon.

In total, KSRTC is introducing 100 new buses, including sleeper and mini-buses. The long-distance buses were built by Prakash Coach Builders in Bengaluru.

The newly inducted buses will be showcased to the public between August 22 and 24. Major vehicle manufacturers are set to participate in the exhibition, which will also feature KSRTC’s new buses decorated with tricolour themes and Kathakali-inspired graphics.