Double-decker buses a hit in Bengaluru upon return, nearly 400 tourists savour the service on Republic Day

“There are variations in daily footfall according to the day. Weekends and national holidays see bigger footfall while weekdays generally see lesser passenger turnout,” said a KSTDC official.

And while this is true, the open-air double-deckers provide an ideal tour route for any day of the week. “We currently operate in a designated area and 774 passengers have availed the double-decker bus service so far, with Monday showing the highest passenger turnout due to Republic Day. Depending on the demand for the service, we shall scale up with more buses and routes,” he further said.

The double-deckers are also no strangers to public awe, as commuters on the road stare in awe, wondering when they can get to experience it for themselves. “Several people standing at traffic signals who are looking at the bus passing by below ask questions about the price and details so they can also try it out,” said Anil K, a bus staff.

“ These buses are ideal for tourists who want to visit the surrounding areas. You can get a ticket, hop on board at Ravindra Kalakshetra, and get down at any of the stops along the route and spend quality time sightseeing or trying out food and get back on at the same spot in the next Ambaari bus along the route, which will drop you back to any desired stop or back to the starting point,” he added.

The service is popular among visitors. Usha V, a resident of Tamil Nadu who is in the city for a family trip, shared, “We were very curious about the Ambaari double-deckers and wanted to try them out. It was a great experience.”

Each bus has a capacity of 40 passengers: 20 on the fully air-conditioned lower deck and 20 on the open-top upper deck. The ticket price will be Rs 180 per person per day. The hop-on, hop-off services allow passengers to board and alight at designated stops and rejoin multiple times throughout the day.

Sathvi G Bhat is an intern with The Indian Express.