Mysuru: In an attempt to ease travel in Mysuru during Dasara festivities, the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC)  launched Open Top Bus Tour and Hop-on Hop-off bus for Dasara yesterday morning.

KSTDC MD Kumar Pushkar launched the services at Hotel Mayura Hoysala on JLB road in the absence of elected representatives.

Speaking after launching the service, Kumar Pushkar said the KSTDC has tied up with BMTC, for providing the only Open Top  Bus with it.

Pointing out that the only Open Top  Bus that will operate in the city till Oct. 20, has 32 seats. The tariff for the Open Top Bus Tour has been fixed at Rs. 150 per head.

The duration of each  tour will be 90 minutes, covering about 15 tourist spots including Palace Gate, Hardinge Circle, K.R. Circle, D. Devaraj Urs Road, Metropole Circle, Railway Station, K.R. Hospital Circle, Bannimantap, LIC office Circle, Five Lights Circle and Sub-Urban Bus Stand. The open top bus operates from City Bus Stand, Kumar Pushkar said.

Continuing, Pushkar said the KSTDC and KSRTC have come together to operate 10 Hop-on  Hop-off buses, where a tourist can get the day pass at Rs. 150 and can travel for the whole day using the same pass.

The 10 buses that are launched will be in service from Oct.10 to 20 and will cover more that 15 popular tourist destinations in and around the city, including Palace, Zoo, Karanji Lake, Chamundi Hill, St. Philomena’s Church etc.

Each trip shall require 90 minutes and the buses would be available at a frequency of every ten minutes.

He said that the tourists can hop on hop-off at any pick up or drop point and online booking and on-board ticketing facility is available for this service. These buses have been specially branded, with a flavour for Mysuru Dasara, he added.

Kumar Pushkar further said that the lone open top bus will be in operation from 7 am to 7 pm on all days till Oct. 20. Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, Tourism Department Director B. Ramu, Deputy Director Janardhan and others officials were present.