THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTC launched Royal View, a fully transparent double-decker service custom built for tourists visiting Munnar, on Tuesday. The bus with roof and sides covered with glass, enables travellers to enjoy the tea estate and mist.
“It is one of my dream projects. I have seen such tourist buses abroad and wanted something like that in Munnar for a long time. Treat it as a New Year gift from KSRTC,” said K B Ganesh Kumar, who inaugurated the launch at Anayara in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The tourism culture has changed after Covid. Now people are looking at a chance to visit Vagamon, Munnar and Wayanad,” he added. KSRTC has retrofitted a double decker with glass panelling, music system, colourful lightings, a coffee vending machine and chairs at the Central Workshop in Pappanamcode after spending Rs 40 lakh.
The bus has 38 seats on the top floor and 12 seats on the lower floor. A top floor seat costs Rs 400 while the lower floor seats cost Rs 200 each.
KSRTC’s Budget Tourism cell will conduct five trips daily in Munnar covering 25 kilometres each. KSRTC CMD Pramoj Shankar said that the minister himself gave the initial design and the staff completed the task in record time. KSRTC has two double-decker services in Thiruvananthapuram. It will launch one more in Ernakulam next week.