Double decker tourist buses to launch in Addis

By Hallelujah Lulie

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia-The first two modern open top, double decker tourist buses will arrive in Addis at the end of August starting operation before the new Ethiopian millennium, Habesha City Tour, a part of Habesha Cultural Center told SSI.

The tourist bus will have a regular route in natural, historic, and cultural centers of the metropolitan targeting museums, churches and mosques, obelisks and monuments, palaces and ancient buildings in the city.
“Addis [Ababa], which is the diplomatic capital of Africa, is also growing as a major conference center of the continent. The service would be an addition to the huge experience for tourists and others to know Addis more and to look at the city from other perspective with comfort, convenience, fun and adventure”, the center said.

The buses, which will accommodate 70 people, allow for convenient photography and video recording of the city and will have LCD screen displaying different images of the city. The buses will also have cooling systems and beverage refreshments with tour guides speaking in four languages.

Lemma Bekele marketing consultant for the center told SSI that the price for one ticket with 24 hours validation would cost 13 euros [~18 USD], which he said is much lower than other places in Europe or Africa. He added that the center is planning to raise the number of the buses assessing the demand for the service in the future. He further said that each bus cost 3 million Ethiopian birr.