Bengaluru: European bus operator FlixBus is expanding to South India with 12 bus services from Bengaluru to other cities with limited-period fares of Rs 99.
The bus services will be available to Chennai, Hyderabad, Belagavi, Coimbatore, Madurai and Vijayawada. Other destinations will be introduced later.
On Tuesday, Minister for Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure M B Patil flagged off the FlixBus service.
"FlixBus will address the long-distance mobility needs of people in Karnataka and the southern region with a technology-driven, collective transport alternative. People now have an increased awareness about the environment, and we welcome FlixBus not only as a foreign investor in Karnataka, but also a partner in our journey toward sustainability," he said.
Surya Khurana, the Managing Director of FlixBus, said that the new routes would contribute to the already existing public transport options for travellers. With Bengaluru being an exponentially growing IT hub and business district, it is the "city of choice" to begin their South India intervention, he told DH.
He said their aim was to revolutionise intercity travel with a tech-driven travel model and customer-centric approach.
FlixBus has partnered with six local travel operators, including Universal Bus Services, Jagan Travels, Anne Travels, Jai Shree Travels, Samanvi Travels and Varun Travels. The new buses are built by Prakash Coach Builders Private Limited and Ashok Leyland.
With the South India launch of new routes, FlixBus connects 101 cities in the country with 215 stops nationwide.
The newly introduced buses are AC sleepers, considering a high population of night travellers in the city. However, Surya said that they were also planning to release seater buses soon.
The Rs 99 offers on ticket fares in FlixBus app and website will be available until September 15 for travel between September 10 and October 6 towards all destinations.
According to the company, FlixBuses are equipped with BS6 engines.
"Each bus is outfitted with state-of-the-art facilities, including ABS (anti-blocking braking system), ESC (electronic stability system) and two-point seat belts for all seats," Surya said.
Published 03 September 2024, 23:50 IST