The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will allot four new buses to promote the tourism prospects of the Munnar hill station, Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar has said. Flagging off a new double-decker bus for sightseeing in Munnar on Saturday, Mr. Ganesh Kumar said the double-decker bus service would provide a new experience for tourists.

He added that the double-decker bus service would not threaten the current tourism-related facilities at the hill station. “The bus will provide a new view of Munnar,” said the Minister. “Proposals have been invited to construct a five-star hotel on the land owned by the KSRTC in Munnar. The corporation will operate bus services from Munnar to other tourist destinations,” he said, adding that computerisation would be completed in the KSRTC within six months.

Four daily services

According to officials, the Munnar Royal View double-decker bus is designed to provide a 360-degree view of the tea plantations and high ranges from the bus. The transparent glass-panelled bus has a seating capacity of 38 persons on the upper deck and 12 on the lower deck. The bus will run four daily services on the Munnar-Devikulam route.

The Minister later led the inaugural trip from the Munnar KSRTC bus stand to the Gap Road viewpoint of the Munnar-Bodimettu National Highway. Devikulam MLA A. Raja presided over the function. KSRTC Managing Director P.S. Pramod Shankar; Budget Tourism Cell CTO R. Udaya Kumar; KSRTC Central Zone CTO T.A. Ubaid; and KSRTC Munnar Unit Officer N.P. Rajesh, among others, attended the function.