Four electric buses added to hop-on-hop-off fleet in Kurukshetra

Four new electric buses equipped with an audio guide facility will be used to provide a comfortable and convenient tour facility to the tourists who reach Kurukshetra from across the country.

The buses will be introduced as part of the Kurukshetra Development Board’s ambitious hop-on-hop-off bus service for tourists. However, the residents will also be able to take a ride in the bus and reach their respective destinations.

As per the information, the buses will be operated from 7 am to 7 pm and will cover religious and tourists sites from Pipli to Jyotisar. The buses will keep plying so that the tourists don’t have to wait much to get the bus for the next destination.

Though the hop-on-hop-off service was unveiled in July this year with a Haryana Roadways bus engaged on the identified route, it was not getting the required response from the tourists as the single bus takes over an hour to complete one round. With the four air-conditioned buses, the KDB officials are expecting a better response from the tourists and also hoping the buses to be available at the sites in every 20-25 minutes. The tourists will be able to board a bus from the Tourist Information and Facilitation Centres (TIFCs) at Pipli Chowk and Arjun Chowk and then they will be taken for a tour.

Honorary secretary of the Kurukshetra Development Board Upender Singhal said, “The project was discussed at the board’s meeting and following the directions of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, four electric buses have been provided which will be used to ferry the tourists. The board had identified 18 locations, including the religious and tourist points, and the tourists will be able to get off the bus at the locations they want to explore and then catch the bus again during its next round.”

The buses are with the state Transport Department and after branding and installing the audio guide system, the buses will be unveiled for which a time will be sought from Haryana Chief Minister for formal launching. The prime objective is to provide authentic information about the religious sites and ancient sites associated with the Mahabharata. The buses will be equipped with audio guide facility, the tourists will get brochures carrying QR codes related to different sites as well, he said.

About the ticketing, the honorary secretary said, “The ticket prices are yet to be finalised, but it was decided that there will be three categories, including full-day ticket, half-day ticket and on a destination-to-destination basis. The residents will also be able to take advantage of the bus service to reach their destination. The route plan and other details have been shared with the department, and the fares will be finalised soon.”