Tourists travelling to Kodaikanal in government buses need not apply for e-pass and the order comes into immediate effect, said officials on Wednesday.
Public travelling to the hill station on their own vehicles or in tourist vehicles have to apply for e-pass through the ‘tourist’ category online from the district administration.
Following requests and appeals from various stakeholders in the hill station, Collector M Vijayalakshmi assured last week that they would take it forward to the government.
After the State government relaxed the guidelines since September 1 on the e-pass system, which were imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic, the hill stations including Kodaikanal, Yercaud and Nilgris were not given the same treatment.
Tourists were told to take e-pass.
Therefore, tourist operators and hoteliers urged the government to withdraw the decision as it was a hindrance.
Kodaikanal Sub-Collector Sivaguru Prabakaran said that public cooperation was very essential in fighting COVID-19, especially in hill stations like Kodaikanal.
He said that more and more tourism spots would be thrown open to visitors after a review in a phased manner.
A senior official in the TNSTC (Dindigul division) said that they would operate more buses to Kodaikanal from Dindigul and Theni districts.
1000 e passes issued
An official at the Collectorate said that they had issued e-passes to at least 1000 applicants from various destinations under the ‘tourist’ category on Wednesday.
This was being done so that the visitors were not fleeced.