Ranchi, Oct. 5: Visitors to Palamau Tiger Reserve, within the famed Betla national park in Daltonganj, will now have the option of hitching a ride for sightseeing, a tourist-friendly initiative the authorities hope will click this festive season.

PTR's divisional forest officer (core) A. K. Mishra said the new bus service was introduced yesterday, four days after the tiger reserve opened its gates following its annual monsoon closure.

Mishra was hopeful the 30-seater bus service would evoke a positive response. "We have our own bus, but for the last six years it remained grounded due to various reasons. Last year, my predecessors tried to resume the bus service for passengers but within a few days it had to be suspended due to poor response. We hope this time will be better," he said.

Tickets are to cost Rs 50 per passenger. To book a ride, one needs to visit the local forest office in Daltonganj or simply call on 8987790041.

"It's pretty cheap. Tourist will be taken to Ketchki fort, Betla park and then back to our office in Daltonganj, the pick-up and drop-off point," Mishra said.

Yesterday, because it was Day One, the authorities offered free rides to physically challenged school children of the district.

"Initially, the bus service will be available only on weekends. We may think of extending it to all days, depending on the response and seat occupancy," Mishra said.

PTR director A. S. Rawat said they were trying to spread the word about the move through their local offices, depending primarily on word of mouth publicity.

A forest ranger said that compared to earlier times, the shadow of Maoist terror longer hung over PTR and Belta.

"The situation has undergone massive changes. The Naxalite problem is on the wane with enough CRPF presence in most parts of Betla and Daltonganj areas. Palamau fort, which was once a no-go zone due to fear of extremists, is easy to visit now. Tourists who have visited our park in the last year will vouch for this," he said.

Given the conducive environment in and around the tiger reserve, the bus service should prove to be popular among visitors, more so because unlike other reserves of the country, Palamau does not have any organised cab service.