The operations of Ambari – the double-decker bus of KSTDC that was a big hit during Dasara with people travelling on the rooftop to watch the city brightly illuminated – may continue since the rides had depended on the continuance of the Dasara special illumination.
Now that it’s official that the illumination had been extended till November 4, the buses may run till the end of the illumination to facilitate tourists glimpse the city coming alive in dazzling lights.
An initiative of the KSTDC, Ambari bookings were available online – for upper and lower decks – and the ride slots had been announced till October 29. Till October 23, both upper and lower decks operated to their full capacity. After Dasara, the demand is more for the upper deck as the people wish to commute on the rooftop to watch the lighting and the city’s magnificence.
Sources in the KSTDC told The Hindu that the buses may be run till November 4 since the corporation was awaiting the decision on the extension of illumination.
The KSTDC ran six Ambari buses and each bus operated three trips starting at 6.30 p.m. daily during Dasara. Each ride took around one hour to one and a half hours depending on the traffic. Only three trips could be operated since the illumination was limited till 10:30 p.m.
Each commuter was charged ₹500 for upper deck and ₹250 for lower deck.
Ambari is a specially-built double-decker bus for open-roof bus tours which have become popular particularly during Dasara.
Ambaari is a 40-seat bus, but the lower AC deck is mostly unoccupied during rides on occasions other than Dasara. All passengers opt to travel on the roof to watch Mysuru, which is a treasure trove of heritage buildings and architectural marvels. The effervescent and expansive Dasara illumination made Ambari popular among the tourists, they said.
Also, the popularity of Ambari encouraged the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation to increase the fleet to six.
