Boosting tourist facilities: Special shuttle bus services to link Old and New Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TGTDC) is planning to introduce special shuttle bus services that cover new tourist attractions in the city as well as historical places in the Old City for the benefit of tourists.

According to a senior official in the TGTDC, nationwide there is a trend to attract domestic tourists by providing appropriate facilities, including easy commute. The Centre, under its ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative, has been encouraging people across the country to first explore the historical and pilgrim centers within the country, rather than going on foreign visits. The official said that the idea is to promote the country's culture by providing necessary facilities.

Giving an example, the official said presently the Delhi government has proposed to introduce shuttle bus services connecting temples in the city.

A senior official in the Corporation said that the proposal came after the Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao directed the officials to create new tourism experiences in Hyderabad, including city tour buses, a Baoli Festival, Heritage Walks, Night Bazaars, Sound and Light shows, and a Vintage Car museum. He said that they would write to the TGSRTC for providing buses for the shuttle services for the convenience of tourists. The officials were told to have a circuit connecting the temples, heritage sites, and monuments so that the tourists can plan as per their choices.

According to the officials, presently there is a hop-on hop-off city tour package, which involves approximately 80 minutes of transit time, between the designated stops and the landmarks including Birla Mandir, Lumbini Park and Tank Bund. Similarly, the heritage stops include Charminar, Salar Jung Museum, Nizam’s Museum, Chowmahalla Palace and Quli Qutb Shah Tombs. If the new proposal takes shape, tourists can also visit other places like Durgam Cheruvu and other parts of the city, the official said.

Along with the shuttle bus services, to accelerate tourism investment, soon a meeting would be organised in Hyderabad. A three-member committee will identify suitable tourism properties and destinations for development through appropriate investment models. The idea is to attract private investment while strategically expanding public investment beyond Hyderabad to ensure balanced tourism growth across the State.

Officials were busy preparing a concrete proposal for an effective mechanism to protect, operate, and maintain tourism properties and infrastructure, the official added.