The e-pass system came into force in Kodaikanal Dindigul district from 7 May 2024. All vehicles, including tourist vehicles, are allowed only after checking through the QR codes.
Usually Kodaikanal continues to see an increase in tourist arrivals ahead of the summer season and Traffic jams will caused by excessive number of vehicles during such seasons. To avoid this, the Madras High Court has ordered the implementation of e-pass system for tourists to visit Kodaikanal from May 7 to June 30. Following this order, guidelines for obtaining e-pass were published at epass.tnega.org.
In this case, all vehicles arriving at Kodaikanal were allowed to enter the city, including two-wheelers, only after undergoing e-pass check through the QR line at the customs booth near Silver Falls.Vehicles without e-pass were stopped at the entry gate. Vehicles were allowed only after registering e-pass on the spot.
Officials advised foreign tourists who were not aware of e-pass on the process of obtaining e-pass and helped them to get e-pass. Tourists eagerly applied as e-pass was being issued to all those who applied. Unfortunately on 8 May , only 3,792 vanas were given permission to visit to Kodaikanal.
With the introduction of e-pass to Ooty and Kodaikanal, the number of tourists has slowly decreased. Tourists started to cancel their bookings in cottages and lodges. The influx of tourists in vehicles to Ooty and Kodaikanal has dropped and the roads were free. On the other hand, the number of tourists who flocked was less at the tourist spots. This sudden introduction of e-pass mandatory has made the tourists dissatisfied.
Kodaikanal residents, who typically rely on income generated from tourism, are experiencing dissatisfaction due to recent e-pass system, they allege Kodaikanal usually visited by tens of thousands of people per day during the summer season holidays. However, only around 28,168 tourists came. Traders said that this is 25 percent less than the usual arrival, and around 5,000 to 10,000 tourists have been affected. However, there is significant opposition, with various parties, including Kodaikanal residents, strongly protesting the implementation of the e-pass system. Calls to retract the system are growing louder.
A Muslim female street vendor in Kodaikanal, addressing the media, expressed her sorrow, “We’re having a store here for 14 years and in 14 years we’ve never seen a bad season like this. After you’ve declared election, no crowd comes, after that on 7th you say that e-pass is mandatory , even if 1000 vehicles we poor people will (cherish), I’m sick, I can’t go to work. In times like this, if we do business for 200 rupees from morning, how to pay school fees, how to pay loan, we all have bought EMI, taken loan, paying loan monthly. can’t pay loan, you can’t eat even if you want to purchase meat. We think that in this kind of season we can earn ten rupees and save it… You say that Kodaikanal is visited by more tourists, today Kodaikanal should be declared as a non-tourist town”
இ-பாஸ் காரணமாக கூட்ட நெரிசலின்றி வெறிச்சோடி காணப்படும் கொடைக்கானல் மலைச்சாலைகள் – உள்ளூர் மக்களின் கருத்து#Dindigul | #Kodaikanal | #EPass | #Tourist | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/SZnwVlHS3U
— Polimer News (@polimernews) May 8, 2024
In response to calm the situation, the Tamil Nadu government has provided clarification, asserting that the operation of issuing e-passes will not disrupt or pose any threat to tourists. Furthermore, the government assures that the public will not face any inconvenience due to the approval of e-passes.
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