Hyderabad to get open-top double-decker tourist buses

Hyderabad is set to get open-top electric double-decker buses for sightseeing, with TGTDC planning two new vehicles and seeking HMDA’s existing fleet. The move revives the city’s long association with double-deckers, phased out in 2003 after decades of service.

Hyderabad: Tourists and residents can soon explore Hyderabad’s grandeur from open-top double-decker buses, which will shortly hit the city roads.

The new buses will feature an open upper deck, allowing people to enjoy tourist places and the city’s landscape, while the lower deck cabin will be fully air-conditioned.

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The new fleet is being procured by the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TGTDC), which recently invited a request for proposal for operating two EV double-decker hop-on hop-off buses that will feature a public address system, tourist guide microphone system, USB charging points and LED Lighting.

The buses are aimed at enhancing sightseeing and tourist mobility within the city, according to the officials.

These electric open-top double-decker buses will be added to the existing fleet of six buses, which currently have closed lower and upper decks, that are presently being operated by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

The TGTDC has recently written a letter to HMDA, seeking transfer of its fleet that will be redeployed under the tourism packages.

Introduced in February 2023 for the Hyderabad E-Prix, the HMDA procured six EV buses for a total of Rs 12 crore, with each bus costing around Rs 2 crore. With a seating capacity of 65 passengers, plus the driver, these buses are fully electric and can travel 150 kilometers on a single charge, taking just 2-2.5 hours to recharge fully.

Currently, the buses ply tourists and other commuters on the tourism-centric routes, including Necklace Road, Wave Rock, Hitec-City, Tank Bund and Golconda—free of cost.

HMDA official sources said the TGTDC has sought transfer of EV double-decker buses for tourism purposes. “We have agreed, and the Tourism department officials have already inspected the buses. A formal transfer is pending,” they added.

The city used to be synonymous with double-decker buses, with the first fleet in green and red introduced by Nizam’s Transport Services during the era of Mir Osman Ali Khan.

In 1946, a set of 30 Albion CX 19 models were brought from England to Hyderabad. The 56-seater buses were shipped in various parts and were reassembled by Hyderabad Allwyn Metal Works Limited.

In 1996, a slew of double-decker buses were converted into one-and-a-half-decker buses with open rooftops. However, due to operational and maintenance costs, as well as a lack of spare parts, the buses were gradually phased out in 2003.