Representative image showing an e-bus.
Credit: iStock Photo
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Maharashtra tourism department has launched a fleet of 20 electric buses for hassle-free transport of tourists to the Ajanta Caves, an official said on Friday.
The first bus was commissioned on Friday to mark World Tourism Day. The buses will transport visitors from the parking lot to the cave complex.
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." With the new fleet of buses, there will be no waiting time, and visitors can experience pollution-free travel, he said.
"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 further said a tourist-friendly booking system will also be launched.
"The bus service will employ 32 people. The plan is to ensure the service is available every two minutes," he said.
The Ajanta Caves, located around 100 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, comprise 30 complexes with viharas (worship halls) and monasteries with paintings depicting the life of Lord Buddha.
As many as 2,58,619 tourists, including more than 7,000 foreigners, have visited the site from January till August this year, an official from the Archaeological Survey of India.