For more than just joy rides in Lal Bagh

For more than just joy rides in Lal Bagh
Deccan Herald

Remember riding on those battery-operated vehicles at the Lal Bagh Botanical Garden, an experience that gave a new dimension to viewing nature’s bounty in a comfortable fashion?

Well, this facility will soon have add-on features that will provide as much in terms information as in the sheer visual delights that the garden can offer. And it is going to be a package that comes at no extra cost to you, thanks to the Horticulture Department (HD).

The HD, which outsourced the service to Maini Materials Moment Pvt Ltd six months ago, aims at making these rides ‘enlightening’ to the visitor with quality information on the garden’s history and suchlike.

Maini General Manager (South Zone) Sridhar told Deccan Herald that the ‘Feri’, as the carts are now called, will have a new name (‘Harini’ is a probable replacement) that will reflect the theme of the ride.

“Lal Bagh has so much to offer, but most of its treasures inside go unnoticed as visitors don’t get to see them in a proper fashion. By the 45-minute ride we hope to provide as much information to the visitors as we can, using both audio and visual modes,” he said.

The HD has “provided us with all the academic details, which are being incorporated on the Information Posters that will be displayed at 11 spots in Lal Bagh. Audio CDs will also be played along the way,” says he. “Each poster will have a pop-up cartoon of a girl child, who will narrate the details in a story form.”

Training

What’s more, drivers-cum-guides are being trained by Maini to “run the show overall”. They are being trained to speak proper English, Kannada and Hindi, besides being given technical training on how to operate/maintain the carts.

The carts, to be stationed in a glass-house-shaped shelter at the entrance, are eight-seaters and will cover close to 3.5 km, and have the capacity to make seven rounds a day. They cost up to Rs 6.5 lakh.

The Rs 25-lakh project is now awaiting HD clearance, especially for the graphics on the theme of the ride. “Once we get the clearance, we are all set to re-launch in September,” Mr Sridhar added.

HD Director Vansantha Kumar said, “The main idea is to encourage visitors to walk around to get a feel of the place. But, this new facility would give a chance to the elderly and invalids to explore Lal Bagh to the fullest”. He will soon be asking Maini to provide for covered and AC-installed carts.

“Foreign visitors and others pressed for time, can make use of this facility, come rain or shine” he adds.

The ride costs Rs 100 for elders and Rs 50 for children and the physically handicapped.