India News > Dedicated bus service to link tourist spots
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS):A dedicated bus service for tourists, linking places of interest in the Indian capital, will start operations
soon. The Delhi Tourist and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) will soon start plying two air-conditioned buses to ferry tourists
from one monument to another. DTTDC expects the service to begin by the end of the year. The buses will go around two dozen
tourist and heritage sites, including the Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Bahai Temple and Humayun's Tomb. One bus will move clockwise and the other will operate
in an anti-clockwise direction. "Such buses are very common in big cities like London, Berlin and Paris which see a large number of tourists
every year. A similar service in Delhi would help tourism here as well," said Suman Sharma, DTTDC spokesperson. With the induction of these
tourist buses, a traveller can get down at any one site, see the place at her or his leisure and then catch the next bus coming along to the other
venue, officials said. A single ticket issued for both the buses would stay valid for the whole day. Delhi gets 18 million
tourists, including 1.8 million foreign tourists, every year. "Delhi is like a gateway to the whole of northern India. It has its own unique
cultural standing, plus it is a perfect centre for booking tickets and exchanging money," said Sharma. "People generally stay here for
approximately two days when they go sightseeing around the city. Since Delhi's monuments are quite scattered, most of them prefer to go on package
tours. "DTTDC itself ferries 50 small budget tourists in buses and car daily. This goes up to more than 100 during peak season," the
official said. Travel agents have welcomed the new initiative. Said Sanjay Tuki, general manager, Kai Tours and Travels: "This
kind of system, I feel, will appeal to Indian tourists and low budget foreign tourists. "We also organise trips visiting all the main
monuments, and we charge Rs. 1,020 for an ambassador car, Rs. 1,700 for a Toyota Qualis and Rs. 1,900 for a mini bus. We even chart out special trips on
request. Foreigners find it ideal, but that is not the case with domestic tourists."
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