The operator of the fleet of Hop-On Hop-Off (HOHO) KL city tour buses is looking into the possibility of operating its city tour bus service in Johor Baru city and Iskandar Malaysia region.
KL city tour bus operator Elang Wah Sdn Bhd marketing executive Zulkifli Mohamed Ismail said they welcomed the opportunity as the tourism industry in Johor is thriving with many places of attractions, such as the Iskandar Malaysia region.
He said the plan is in the pipeline as it needs to discuss the matter with authorities such as the Johor Baru City Council, Johor Tourism Department and other tourism industry players.
“It is important that we get their support. Our services will definitely boost the tourism industry in the state,” he said.
He said there was potential for the HOHO city tour bus service to bring tourists to the latest tourist attractions in the region such as Legoland Resort Malaysia and the Johor Premium Outlets.
“In Kuala Lumpur, there are 10 buses servicing 23 tourist attractions. We have included Istana Negara as an additional stop in the route,” he said.
Zulkifli said the company is looking forward to launch its maiden operation in Penang in November.
“We are excited about the launch and the opportunity to bring tourists to Penang,” he said.
Zulkifli said details of the route where the HOHO city tour buses will be servicing in Penang will be revealed during its launch.
George Town and Batu Ferringhi are included in the route.
The bus fare, he added, will be the same as the KL prices which are RM45 (adult), and RM24 (child) for tourists.
For Malaysians, it is RM19 (adult) and RM12 (child). He said the service will be similar to Kuala Lumpur where buses run from 9am to 8pm daily.
Ten HOHO buses, with a seating capacity of 60 each, will be deployed to Penang. The HOHO KL city tour bus made its first appearance here on Saturday when a double-decker bus with an open top deck arrived at the Johor Premium Outlets.
It will also take part in the Magic of the Night flotilla parade and fireworks display promotional road show at the Marina Putrajaya lake in Putrajaya from Saturday to June 22.
The parade will showcase flotillas from various states, which come in all shape and sizes, and decorated with colourful lights and other embellishments.
The flotillas will be cruising along the lake side area during the nine-day event.
Its event communications director, Caroline Ang, said the main parade there will also feature exciting activities for the family such as handicraft and exhibitions.
Also present will be mascots, Upin and Ipin. Ang said the event was on the Visit Malaysia Tourism activities calendar.
She said, for the Magic of the Night roadshow in Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Johor, the HOHO city tour bus will be decorated with colourful lights to mimic the actual flotillas displayed in the parade.
“The parade is also held in conjunction with the Floria Putrajaya 2014 which is happening the same week. We expect about one million visitors at the parade,”said Ang.
Source: NST (text); Raja Badri (photo)