Tourists may have more ways to explore Shanghai as a company is planning to open a double-decker bus sightseeing route for visitors around Huaihai Road and the Bund, Shanghai Morning Post reported today.

An insider said the buses will be equipped with foreign language guides, aiming to attract more foreign customers.

The buses will have an open upper deck with no roof and shallow sides and the bottom level will be air-conditioned. Each bus will cost approximately 1 million yuan (US$125,000), as its chassis and engine are imported from overseas countries, the insider said.

The route will likely begin around Nanpu Bridge and will extend to Huaihai Road.

The project is still under study and it will need the city's approval. The company hasn't decided the fare yet.

An insider said the company will cooperate with local travel agencies to ensure a sufficient passenger supply.

An Italian company, which has rich experience in running sightseeing buses, came to the city recently, hoping to cooperate with big companies to promote sightseeing routes.

The Italian company said it plans to open two sightseeing routes, one from the Bund to Jing'an Temple, and another in the Lujiazui area. The interval between two buses will be 15 minutes to 20 minutes.

(Shanghai Daily July 12, 2006)