Long queues outside the century-old Mysore zoo may soon be thing of the past as the management is building an entry plaza that will facilitate purchase of tickets inside the zoo.
The management will make use of the space available near the zoo entrance. The entry plaza will be able to accommodate about 800 ticket buyers, besides providing separate gates for entry and exit. Disclosing this to The Hindu here on Monday, zoo Executive Director B.P. Ravi said that work would start soon as tenders are awarded.
Visitors will not have to stand outside the zoo in long queues to purchase tickets. They can as well enter the zoo and purchase tickets at ease, he said.
The long queues, especially during weekends and public holidays, had jeopardised the safety of the visitors as the crowd usually spills onto the busy road. Moreover, the crowds also hamper traffic flow. Mr. Ravi said that arrangements were being made for visitors to sit and wait for their turn to buy tickets, in the event of a rush.
Also, steps have been taken to build separate entry and exit gates for visitors. At present, the entrance is also being used for the exit, causing congestion at the gate.
The plaza is being built at an estimated cost of Rs. 42 lakh, he said.
e-ticketing system Mr. Ravi said the e-ticketing system, launched two years, was getting good response. More people are now buying entry tickets from the website, thanks to the system, he said. Payment for entry tickets and other services can be done on www.mysorezoo.info
Paying service charge for battery-operated vehicles (for tours inside the zoo), cameras, luggage rack and parking, can also be done online. The number of visitors touches 15,000 during weekends. On other days, the figures range from 7,000 to 10,000, Mr. Ravi said.
