Bengaluru’s Ambari double-decker sightseeing buses have carried more than 30,000 passengers in 10 months, prompting officials to consider extending the hop-on, hop-off route to MG Road. The service, operated by three buses of the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), has revived double-decker city tours in Bengaluru after a gap of nearly three decades.
The buses returned to Bengaluru after being used for city tours during Dasara in Mysuru. Each Ambari bus can carry 40 passengers, with 20 seats in an air-conditioned lower deck and 20 seats on an open-top upper deck. The service operates from 10am to 5.30pm.
A full-day ticket costs Rs 180 per person. Tickets can be booked through the KSTDC website or purchased at Ravindra Kalakshetra, where the route begins. The service allows passengers to get off at designated stops and reboard the buses several times during the day.
The current route passes through Corporation Circle, Hudson Circle and Kasturba Road before reaching Visvesvaraya Museum. It then continues towards Chinnaswamy Stadium and the General Post Office, ending near the High Court and Vidhana Soudha. The proposed extension to MG Road is still under consideration, and officials have not announced a confirmed implementation date.
A senior KSRTC official said the response had been encouraging, with people across age groups using the service. The official said the demand had led authorities to examine the possibility of adding MG Road to the sightseeing circuit, but no new buses are planned at present.
The buses have also generated demand beyond scheduled sightseeing trips. According to the official, the Ambari vehicles have been rented around 20 times for photo shoots, celebrations and weddings. The rental cost is approximately Rs 1 lakh for a few hours.
The return of the buses marks the first reappearance of double-decker buses on Bengaluru’s streets since 1997. Their open-top design and access to central landmarks have positioned the service as both a tourism offering and a different way of experiencing the city’s established civic, cultural and institutional districts. Any route expansion will depend on the authorities’ further decision on the proposed MG Road addition.
