Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has introduced three open-top double-decker buses for tourists on Marine Drive Road in Cox’s Bazar to enhance the experience for tourists.
The first journey commenced from Cox's Bazar city's Laboni intersection with one of BRTC's double-decker open-top buses at 9:00 on Wednesday.
Passengers seated on the upper deck enjoyed a breathtaking view as the bus traversed the Marine Drive Road, providing a captivating blend of mountains and sea.
The 80-kilometre-long Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive Road, known for its scenic beauty with the azure sea on one side and picturesque hills on the other, has become an enchanting destination for tourists.
The upper deck seats are priced at Tk 700 per person, while the lower deck seats are available at Tk 600 per person. Along the journey, the buses will make stops at six tourist spots for 20 to 45 minutes.
With an additional cost of Tk 200, travellers will have the opportunity to relish lunch at Patuwar Tek during the approximately nine-hour trip.
In the evening, tourists on the bus will have the chance to enjoy the beauty of the sunset at Darianganagar by the seaside. The district administration will oversee the overall management of these tourist buses.
The authorities anticipate that these tourist buses will further enhance the attraction for tourists visiting Cox's Bazar, similar to open-top buses in advanced tourist destinations worldwide.
Another report adds: 'Tourist Express', the second inter-city train to be launched commercially from Dhaka, reached Cox's Bazar iconic station with 785 passengers.
These two commercial trains named 'Cox's Bazar Express' and 'Tourist Express' are plying daily on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route.
The train that left Dhaka's Kamalapur railway station arrived at Cox's Bazar iconic station at 3:25 pm on Wednesday.
This train left Dhaka for Cox's Bazar at 6:30 am.
Golam Rabbani, Station Master of Cox's Bazar Railway Station, said that for the first time, the commercially launched tourist train 'Tourist Express' started its journey.
The train left at half past six in the morning and reached Cox's Bazar iconic station in about nineteen hours.
The first train had 785 passengers. The number of compartments including the food compartment was 16.
"The train will depart for Dhaka from Cox's Bazar with the same number of passengers at 8:30 PM. And the train will stop every Sunday. "Commenting on the launch of a new non-stop intercity train 'Tourist Express' on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route, the Master of Cox's Bazar Iconic Station said, "Discussions are underway to operate a few more trains plying on different routes in the country from Cox's Bazar Iconic Station.
The railway authorities will make arrangements for the movement of these trains as soon as possible. "
Mohammad Golam Rabbani said that the newly launched 'Tourist Express' fare has been determined from the passengers like 'Cox's Bazar Express'.
In this, the non-AC class 'Shovan Chair' seat fare from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar is Tk 695 and the AC class 'Snigdha' seat fare is Tk 1,325 including VAT. The same fare has been fixed from Dhaka Airport station as well.
It is to be noted that from last December 1 commercial train named 'Cox's Bazar Express' started running on Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route for the first time. Earlier on November 11, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially announced the inauguration of Cox's Bazar iconic railway station and Dhaka-Cox's Bazar railway line.
