Tourists travelling round the city will soon be able to hop on and off a new summertime bus, expected to arrive at the end of the month.

The 84b bus service, to be run by Metroline Travel Ltd, will run from St Albans city station through the city centre and St Michael’s to Chiswell Green, ending at Butterfly World.

It will operate between May 24 and August 31 on Sundays and bank holidays.

Paul Spelzini, of the Potters Bar and St Albans Transport User Group, welcomed the plans.

He said: “Given the recent cut backs on other bus services, this is definitely positive news.

“I think this is a good thing as we don’t have anything like it at the moment and I know that it was suggested two or three years ago but the council had dithered and the operator had decided to go ahead with it themselves.”

Commenting on rejected plans for a ‘Lilliput’ tourist mini-road train between St Michael’s and the city centre that the group put forward in 2012, Paul said: “There were just too many problems with that: for example the layover between journeys and the sheer congestion in the city centre and going up and down hills such as Holywell Hill.

“This is a different type of service that will be some serving some new parts of the city.”

Ian McAllister, head of business development at Metroline Travel Ltd, said: “Our announcement follows on from conversations we had with representatives from Butterfly World, which we thought would be an interesting venture.

“It will be a commercial venture paid for by people who pay for their fares and by people with other bus passes.

“Butterfly World will also give ticket holders a discount.”