Tourists in Hampi will soon be able to travel between monuments using electric buses. The new battery-operated vehicles would come as a huge relief to tourists as summer is approaching.
Between Gejjala Mantapa and Vijaya Vittala temple complex (2 km), there are 15 electric buggies serving visitors, and electric buses will be added to the fleet soon. Unlike buggies, buses will be able to ride around Hampi and visitors will be able to travel to other places.
The buses were built by a private company in Chennai, and the project is being carried out by the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority (HWHAMA). A trial run was conducted in which an electric bus travelled to various locations to assess speed, turning performance, and other factors.
The new vehicles have a capacity of 20 passengers and will be used as required. “We expect to get 5-6 electric buses for Hampi in the first phase. Tourists will be able to board the buses and travel to a variety of locations in and around Hampi. The electric buses will also link visitors to the Vijaya Vittala temple complex’s electric buggies “HWHAMA’s Official said.
“The project had been on hold for over a year. All came to a halt due to the pandemic’s imposed lockdown. However, trial runs have started, and we expect the first batch of buses to arrive in a fortnight. We haven’t decided on pricing yet, but we will do so in the coming days. In this regard, a meeting of all stakeholders has been called ” Officials said
