Introduced with much fanfare, the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus facility for tourists seems to have fizzled out.
The BMTC has cut down on the number of buses it operates for ‘Bangalore Rounds’ from seven to two and has renamed it ‘Bangalore Darshini’.
Bangalore Rounds is a hop on hop off (HOHO) city sightseeing service which BMTC introduced six months ago. It covered 21 historical, cultural and heritage spots.
Ekroop Caur, Managing Director, BMTC, said, "The service will be withdrawn from Wednesday. But two buses will operate as dedicated tour buses.” The remaining buses will be deployed to go to the zoo, WonderLa and a few for the express service from Kempegowda Bus Station (KBS) to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA).
The HOHO service started with seven luxury air-conditioned buses with 41 seats each. They operated between 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. The introductory tickets were Rs. 250 for adults and Rs. 200 for children. In August, the fare was reduced to Rs. 150 and Rs. 100, respectively. Bulk tickets (minimum of 10) got a 10 per cent discount.
The frequency was 30 minutes.
