Goa tourism is set to launch its amphibious bus service as it has now got all the required permissions, including the crucial permission from the transport department.Amphibian Tours is planning to introduce six buses for tourists over a year. It will get two more buses from the manufacturer in the next six months and the remaining two in a year’s time.

• Automobile Corporation of Goa Ltd (ACGL), a Tata group company, has built these buses in technical collaboration with Amphibious Designs India Pvt Ltd (ADI), affiliated to the US-based Advanced Ambitious Design. The company is likely to deliver the first lot of two buses by August-end.
• Two routes have been identified for the service. The first, called the Hinterland Route, will showcase the mangroves and a bird sanctuary.
• The places covered will be Panjim to Ribandar, around the Chorao Island and Dr Salim Ali bird sanctuary.
• Goa tourism development corporation, chairperson, Nilesh Cabral, along with tourism minister Dilip Parulekar, on Friday, said they have got a nod from the transport department to start the service.
• The indigenously built amphibious buses had been ready to use for over six months, but the Goa tourism could not start the service without the necessary permission from the transport department.