3 days ago
Ride along Vizag Beach Road on double-decker bus to be a reality soon
Ever dreamt of travelling along the scenic Beach Road from RK Beach to Bheemunipatnam in a double-decker open-top bus, covering the pristine coastline on one side and lush green hills on the other?
Well, it may become a reality soon as the Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL), in collaboration with the Tourism Department, is planning to introduce double-decker bus services, covering key tourist hotspots in Visakhapatnam.
The Ashok Leyland Group donated a double-decker bus to the Andhra Pradesh government to promote tourism in the State.
IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh has ensured that the bus is allocated to Visakhapatnam, recognising the strong tourism potential of the city.
Tender floated
Building on this, the GVSCCL, with the support of the Tourism Department, is planning to procure two more double-decker buses by using the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. Tenders (Request for Proposal) have already been floated for this purpose and the last date for accepting the proposals is May 31.
Chief Engineer G. Siva Prasad Raju states that the new service will operate on a 'hop-on, hop-off' model, providing tourists with an innovative and flexible way to explore the city's tourist attractions.
'For example, a tourist can board the bus at RK Beach and get off at Tenneti Park to spend some time there and hop onto another bus to reach Rushikonda. The buses will operate on a circuit, with high frequency to suit passengers' needs, allowing tourists to explore the city at their own pace,' he explains.
Of the three proposed bus services, two will feature closed-top decks, while one will have an open-top design. The decision has been taken, keeping in the view of the local weather conditions and preferences of tourists.
The authorities are yet to finalise the routes and fare structures. The initial plan focuses on the Beach Road stretch from RK Beach to Bheemunipatnam, which features a string of tourist spots including Kursura Submarine Museum, Visakha Museum, Kailasagiri Ropeway, Tenneti Park, Jodugullapalem View Point, Rushikonda Beach, and Erra Matti Dibbalu. Future expansions may include other popular locations such as the Simhachalam temple and One Town.
