This Christmas and New Year, an open-top double-decker bus awaits those interested in Patna’s glorious past.

The Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) has gifted the city an amazing hop-on, hop-off sightseeing experience around the popular tourist spots in a bus that had already arrived here.

The 42-seat air-conditioned bus is equipped with facilities such as microwave oven, refrigerator and attached toilet. For the toilet, water and sewage tanks are fitted underneath the bus. Speakers are also fitted inside the bus to brief tourists about the spots, which they would come across during the drive around the city. (See graphic)

The BSTDC has planned to run the bus in Patna on the lines of Mumbai Bhraman, where open-deck buses are run by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation in the heart of the financial capital of the country.

“The bus arrived in the city on Sunday night and we are finalising the documentations required to commence its operation. We are contemplating to start the operations around Christmas-New Year,” said Naveen Kumar, the deputy general manager of BSTDC.

Though the route for running the bus is yet to be finalised, sources said it is likely to go along Buddha Smriti Park, Patna Museum, Golghar, Patna Sahib Gurdwara and Kumhrar archaeological park among other prominent tourist spots.

Gurgaon-based firm Babbarraju Mobile, which has expertise in manufacturing or assembling the body of such tourist vehicles, has supplied the bus.

Apart from the one that has already arrived, two such open-top double-decker buses would be delivered within a month. The other two buses are expected to run in Bodhgaya and Rajgir. Each bus costs Rs 60 lakh and it runs 2km per litre.

The height of the bus is around 20ft, which many think, can be a cause of concern while plying on the city streets. It is being apprehended that people sitting on the open-deck top floor of the bus might face a nudge from the tree branches and overhead electric wires. But officials in the BSTDC said all such issues are being given due consideration before finalising the route.

Revellers in the city are upbeat over the arrival of the bus.

“It would be an amazing experience to move around the city on a double-decker bus. I can visualise the joy of sitting on the open-deck of the bus and visiting areas with historical significance,” said Ashiana Nagar resident Divya.

Apart from the open-deck bus, last year the BSTDC had procured a caravan bus, which was supplied by the same Gurgaon-based firm Babbarraju Mobile.

“We have expertise in manufacturing such tourist special buses and we are supplying similar ones to Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments as well,” said one of the executives of the firm, who is in Patna for completing the delivery-related formalities for the newly arrived double-decker bus.

Former chief minister Nitish Kumar had launched the caravan bus on April 28, 2013. The renting rate for the caravan is Rs 30 per km and it can be hired for a minimum of 250km.

It is fully air-conditioned and its seating area has four highly comfortable seats, which form two beds when fully stretched. Overall, it has a seating capacity for seven persons and the beds can accommodate two children and equal number of adults. The caravan also has a folding canopy on the left, along with several folding chairs, which is ideal for camping in a jungle safari.

Double-decker buses are in common use throughout the United Kingdom, and have been favoured over articulated buses by many operators because of the shorter length of double-deckers, and less need to have standing capacity.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Knight Bus is a triple-decker which can fit under bridges due to magic. It is modeled after a double-decker bus.