Bus services on Manali-Leh route resume
By IANSWednesday, July 14, 2010
MANALI - The bus services between Himachal Pradesh’s Manali town and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir have resumed, six months after they were halted due to heavy snowfall, an official said Wednesday.
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) started running special buses on the 475-km route Tuesday to promote tourism in the state. The strategic Manali-Leh National Highway 21 had remained closed for vehicular traffic from December onwards owing to heavy snowfall.
“Earlier, the bus services were scheduled for July 3, but it couldn’t be made operational due to bad weather. Now it will ply every alternate day between these tourist destinations,” HPTDC senior manager Dev Raj Sharma told IANS.
“During the 18-hour journey, the bus will halt overnight at Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district. From there, it will depart at 4 a.m. In the evening it will reach Leh,” he said.
The one-way fare is Rs.2,000, which includes a night’s stay at Keylong, dinner and breakfast.
The tourists will be provided tented accommodation at Keylong.
