The Punjab government on Monday rolled out an amphibious bus, which will seamlessly cruise on both land and water.
The project is being showcased as a tourist attraction in the poll-bound state.
After traversing on road and off-road terrain, the water bus – Punjab Harike Water Cruise – will enter the Harike Pattan wetland with passengers on board.
The Harike wetland is the largest in north India and is located along the border of Tarn Taran and Firozpur districts. The wetland has been chosen for this tourist attraction because of its picturesque setting and migratory birds. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of about 86 sq km.
The water bus is a pet project of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. “The Opposition parties ridiculed me when I made the announcement of a water bus last year. I have fulfilled this promise as well,” he said.
On Monday, Sukhbir along with officials and media persons took a ride on the bus, which can accommodate 32 people, including the pilot and the co-pilot, in the wetland.
When asked that what he had promised was water buses for transportation purposes and not tourism, he said, “No. it is the same thing. We have taken the first step. For the buses in canals, we will need to increase the height of the bridges constructed over canals.”
The capacity of the water bus is 34 but only 24 persons were allowed on the first ride, along with the Deputy Chief minister. The ride was less than 10 minutes long.
A Sweden-based company has provided the design and technology for the bus, while the assembly was done in Goa. The 45-minute ride covering a distance of about 4 km on water will cost Rs 800.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress has slammed the project, which has cost about Rs 10 crore.