- By Sahelee Rakshit
- Fri, 27 Sep 2024 03:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
An official said that the Maharashtra tourism department has introduced twenty electric buses on Friday to provide hassle-free travel for visitors to Ajanta Caves. To mark World Tourism Day, the first bus was put into service today. From the parking area to the cave complex, guests will be transported by busses.
Talking to PTI, assistant director of the state tourism department, Vijay Jadhav, said, "A fleet of 20 electric buses will cater to domestic and foreign tourists visiting the world heritage site. Earlier, a conventional diesel bus was being operated, and tourists had to wait a long time for the vehicle to get full."
He claimed that travelers will not have to wait and may enjoy pollution-free transportation with the new fleet of buses.
"The fleet of 20 buses, both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned, have a carrying capacity of 14 and 22 passengers. We expect that the entire fleet will be operational by October 20. A film on the Ajanta Caves will be shown en route to give visitors an idea about the site," he said.
He went on to say that a booking system targeted for tourists will also be introduced. "The bus service will employ 32 people. The plan is to ensure the service is available every two minutes," he said.
Situated around 100 kilometres from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, the Ajanta Caves consist of thirty structures with viharas (worship halls) and monasteries adorned with murals that portray the story of Lord Buddha.
According to a representative of the Archaeological Survey of India, between January and August of this year, 2,58,619 tourists—including almost 7,000 international visitors—visited the location.
