What is a HoHo bus and why is Mumbai excited about it?

An interesting news hit the national headlines on November 30. The city of Mumbai is ready to start special tourist buses called HoHo, abbreviation of Hop On Hop Off. Not just tourists, even local sight seers and city residents looking for a break are commenting / tweeting about it. Let’s see how this is going to work out.  

What is the HoHo bus all about? 
Maharashtra Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray launched the HoHo bus service on November 30. The buses follow a scheme that operates in many major cities including London. They will run every 30 minutes every day from 9 am to 8 pm. There is a daily pass instead of a ticket. Once a pass (worth INR 250) is made, a passenger can board the bus as many times as they want during that day. So literally, one can hop on to the bus, hop off at a tourist spot, explore the space, and hop on to another HoHo from there to go to the next destination. It takes the hurry out of typical guided tours, and given the cheerful air-conditioned interiors of the buses, would make for an ideal day outing plan.  

What is the route of the Mumbai HoHo bus?  
The HoHo bus will start from the famous Gateway of India by the sea in South Mumbai and end at Juhu Chowpatty, another beach along the north-central part of the city. In between, the bus will touch upon several historical and popular sites. As declared so far, the stops are CSMT, Byculla Zoo / Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Siddhivinayak Temple, Band Stand Bandra, Juhu Garden, Juhu Chowpatty, Nehru Science Centre/ Nehru Planetarium, Mani Bhavan, Hanging Gardens, Aquarium, Museum and Gateway of India. There would be a total of 11 hop on / off points along the route with 19 places worth visiting.  

Who is in charge of the HoHo buses? 
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), which runs the signature red public transport bus system of Mumbai, has started the HoHo scheme. Apart from being air conditioned, the buses run on electricity, so they would not increase the pollution level. What’s more, to popularise the scheme, BEST launched a ‘Design Mumbai Ho Ho bus’ campaign on its site and social media handles. Citizens are encouraged to send in artistic ideas to design and decorate the exterior of the buses and make them look more personalised than usual government coaches.