In a bid to boost tourism, the Himachal Pradesh transport minister Bikram Singh has launched routes of Volvo buses to ply from Chandigarh to three routes in the state – Shimla, Dharamshala and Manali – all of which are popular tourist destinations. By Anushka Goel
On Sunday, the Himachal Pradesh transport minister Bikram Singh launched a new Volvo bus service, that will take passengers from the Chandigarh International Airport to the cities of Shimla, Dharamshala and Manali in the state, reports Hindustan Times. This move has come in time as India opens up for international travel and COVID-19 restrictions across the country ease, allowing for a smoother, easier travel experience.
Chandigarh gets Volvo routes to Dharamshala, Manali, Shimla
आज चंडीगढ़ हवाई अड्डे से धर्मशाला और मनाली के लिए वॉल्वो बसों को हरी झंडी दिखा रवाना किया।
आशा करता हूं कि हिमाचल के नैसर्गिक सौन्दर्य को निहारने जो पर्यटक देश विदेश से धर्मशाला और मनाली आते हैं उनके लिए हिमाचल पथ परिवहन निगम कि यह वॉल्वो बसें बहुत लाभदायक होगी।@CMOFFICEHP pic.twitter.com/6eytQIjLcD
— Bikram Thakur (@Bikramthakur64) March 26, 2022
Tweeting about the bus routes, the minister wrote, “Flagged off Volvo buses from Chandigarh Airport for Dharamsala and Manali today. I hope that these Volvo buses of Himachal Road Transport Corporation will be very beneficial for the tourists who come to Dharamsala and Manali from abroad to see the natural beauty of Himachal.”
These buses, which will ply daily, have been offered by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) under the UDAN scheme, Hindustan Times reports, adding that air passengers arriving in Chandigarh will now have a smooth travel experience to these three towns, which are popular travel destinations in Himachal Pradesh.
Chandigarh-Himachal Volvo: Prices, timings and more
According to the Hindustan Times report, the prices of the routes are as follows:
- Chandigarh-Shimla route is priced at INR 450 per passenger. The bus will depart from Shimla ISBT at 12:25 pm, reaching Chandigarh at 4:30 pm. On its return journey, the bus will leave Chandigarh Airport at 7:00 pm, reaching Shimla at 10:30 pm
- Chandigarh-Manali route is priced at INR 1,172 per passenger. It’ll leave for Chandigarh at 8:00 am and reach by 7:00 pm. The bus will then depart for Manali from the Chandigarh Airport at 7:50 pm, reaching the Himachal destination by 6:00 am the next day.
- Chandigarh-Dharamshala buses are priced at INR 818 per passenger. The bus leaves for Chandigarh from Dharamshala at 6:40 am, arriving in the Union Territory by 3:00 pm. It’ll start its return journey almost immediately (at 3:00 pm), reaching Dharamshala by 10:00 pm.
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