Bengaluru: Double-decker buses are set to return to city streets for the first time since 1997, with Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) launching a hop-on, hop-off service from Wednesday.The initiative comes after Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) failed attempt to reintroduce these iconic vehicles into its fleet a couple of years ago. KSTDC will operate three double-decker buses for tourists, covering key landmarks in the central part of the city. Each bus can carry 40 passengers – 20 on the fully air-conditioned lower deck and 20 on the open-top upper deck. “We wanted to promote tourism and showcase the beauty of Bengaluru to tourists and found double-decker buses were one of the best ways to do that. The buses are modelled after the iconic red double-deckers of London,” said KSTDC managing director Prashant Kumar Mishra. The hop-on, hop-off service, which allows passengers to get on and off at designated stops and rejoin multiple times throughout the day, will start from Ravindra Kalakshetra, continue through Corporation Circle and Hudson Circle, then proceed along Kasturba Road to arrive at Visvesvarayya Museum. From there, the buses will go to Chinnaswamy Stadium and General Post Office (GPO). The final stop on the tour will be high court and Vidhana Soudha.KSTDC officials said it will be a shorter pilot route that will gradually be expanded to include 26 tourist spots up to Trinity Circle. “We are testing the waters with this loop. Double-decker buses require more clearance as their height is more than regular buses,” Mishra said. Three Ambari buses are being brought in from Mysuru, where they are used for city tours during Dasara. “During Dasara season, we can send the buses back and, if there is good demand for the initiative in Bengaluru, we might even increase the fleet size to five,” the KSTDC MD added. The service will run from 10am to 5.30pm. A full-day ticket will cost Rs 180 per person and can be booked online on kstdc.co.in or purchased at Ravindra Kalakshetra.Tourism minister K Patil will flag off the tour from Ravindra Kalakshetra Wednesday.
