The amphibian bus will carry 26 passengers and is currently being finished in a factory. Sightseeing tours will last an hour and 20 minutes and are due to begin in Spring 2015.
The amphibian bus will enter the river from a fire service ramp at Salzburg-Mülln. It will have a driver-come-captain and a crew of two.
Local ÖVP councillor Josef Schwaiger was against the bus and initially said that "it doesn’t fit Salzburg, and is unlikely to be approved.”
Environmentalists and fishermen were also against the amphibian bus but having ensured that it will not be depositing pollutants into the river it has now been approved.
The amphibian bus project has cost €550,000 and has been financed by Erich Berer, who runs Salzburg’s sightseeing boat Amadeus.
It was inspired by an amphibian bus tour in Rotterdam. London has similar amphibian bus tours, using ‘duck’ vehicles originally used in WWII.
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