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The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) has introduced a new option for people who want to celebrate special occasions while enjoying Bengaluru's city views. The corporation has decided to rent out its 'Ambaari' open-top double-decker buses for private events such as pre-wedding shoots, birthday celebrations, corporate gatherings and photo sessions.
Bengaluru's Ambaari Double-Decker Bus
The 40-seater buses will be available for private bookings on an hourly basis, but only along their fixed routes. According to KSTDC officials, the buses cannot travel through areas with Metro flyovers, overhead electricity lines, narrow underpasses or foot overbridges due to height restrictions. If customers want to conduct photo or video shoots at locations outside the approved stopping points, they will have to obtain separate permissions from the concerned civic authorities.
KSTDC has also created guidelines to ensure that private events do not disturb traffic movement. For birthday celebrations, the bus will stop briefly at a designated location for cake cutting before continuing its journey. Pre-wedding shoots can also be conducted only at approved spots. The buses will stop only at designated parking areas along the route and will not halt in the middle of busy roads.
Why has KSTDC launched this Service?
The hop-on, hop-off Ambaari service was originally launched to promote Bengaluru's heritage and tourist attractions. The route covers several important landmarks, including Ravindra Kalakshetra, Corporation Circle, Hudson Circle, Kasturba Road, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, General Post Office, Karnataka High Court, Vidhana Soudha and KR Circle.
For private rentals, hiring the bus for five hours on weekdays costs Rs 26,000, while a full-day booking costs Rs 32,000. On weekends, the charges are higher, with five-hour rentals costing Rs 28,000 and full-day bookings costing Rs 40,000.
For pre-wedding and other photo shoots, the charges are Rs 12,000 for two hours on weekdays and Rs 16,000 on weekends. Additional hours will cost Rs 6,000 on weekdays and Rs 7,000 on weekends.
The Ambaari buses were launched in January to promote tourism in Bengaluru. However, lower-than-expected daily sightseeing demand has encouraged KSTDC to explore private bookings. The four buses currently operating have carried around 20,700 passengers since January 21, averaging nearly 100 passengers per day, while the corporation had expected around 300-400 passengers daily.
Each bus has 20 fully air-conditioned seats on the lower deck, while the upper deck offers open-air seating. Regular sightseeing tickets start at Rs 180 per person. Officials said the buses are especially popular on weekends, with the upper deck usually attracting more passengers,