PANJIM: The Tourism Department was left red-faced when a photograph showing Hop-On-Hop-Off buses, better known as HO-HO serives being used to trim tree branches went viral on the social media on Thursday.
The bus, awaiting a formal launch in a bid to boost tourism and to also curb traffic in the capital, was a day before stationed at Campal ground where the Goa Food & Cultural Festival 2017 is underway. On Thursday morning, a photograph showing a man – on the edge on the huge bus – trimming branches near Adil Shah Palace, was spalshed all over the internet. the person wearing khakis, probably from the Fire & Emergency Department and another person, are also seen on the bus. A fire-tender and a four-wheeler were parked behind.
The Tourism Department later in the evening issued a clarification stated that the work was a part of the pre-monsoon preparedness also as it would create a risk for the passengers seated in the open tour double decker.
“An order was issued to the concerned departments (Forest Dept, CCP, Traffic police, Mamlatdar and Fire Dept) to trim the branches which are one of the safety concerns for passengers touring in the double-decker buses in the near future. Based on the order issued, the respective departments had begun trimming branches today (Thursday) on the bus route between Paryatan Bhavan and Bhagwan Mahaveer Garden, Panjim,” it stated.
Apart from the branches, Gavin Dias, General Manager, GTDC said there were several low- level electric wires and cables which were already attended by the electricity department, Goa broadband company and the local cable TV operators. “All the wires and cables have been moved to safety levels ensuring safety of the passengers and the buses. The work will continue for the next few days ensuring hundred per cent safety to passengers who would take a double decker bus tour in the future,” he further said. The department has, however, not been able to explain as to why the bus was used for the trimming the tree branches.
