The Hop-on Hop-off double decker bus called Ambari, which was flagged off in March in Mysuru to give a boost to the tourism sector, is seeing a low occupancy rate. The reason, is because the second wave of COVID-19 has increased the number of covid cases.
The Hop-on Hop-Off double decker, which was operated on a temporary basis during Dasara, has been introduced on a full time basis. Speaking to us, chairperson of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, actress-turned-politician Shruthi says, “Due to the sudden spike in covid cases, the occupancy rate is low. Some of the people who have boarded the bus have shared positive reviews. We have also asked to run the bus in vicinities of Mysuru so that at least people will get to know that such facilities are available for tourists.”
On condition of anonymity, a person associated with KSTDC says, “The bus was opened for tourists officially from April 10. Despite holidays and weekends, we did not get the desired response from the people.”
A tour operator, Sachin Kumar says, “When the bus was launched, the number of covid cases were very less. But the cases have shot up by manifold now. I think the timing of the launch was wrong. During peak summer season no one likes to travel in an open bus. Having said that, the second wave is another big blow for the tourism sector as the number of tourists visiting has reduced drastically due to curbs imposed in Maharashtra and other states.”
The bus, which has seating capacity of 40, ferries tourists to prominent heritage structures and tourism destinations like Deputy Commissioner’s building, Crawford Hall, Kukkarahalli Lake, Karanji Lake, University of Mysore, Folklore Museum, Palace and Zoo. The ticket price per person is `250.