E-pass system set for enforcement from November 1 for vehicles entering Valparai Hill Station has apparently come as a bolt from the blue for the business community.
The traders, who believe tourism has been contributing to the circular economy in Valparai where tea estates are the only revenue source, apprehend that hundreds of people employed in tourism-related activities will be thrown out of jobs, if there are curbs for entry of vehicles.
According to the Madras High Court directive on implementation of e-pass system, the regulatory push has been necessitated by traffic congestion and surge of tourists to the environmentally-sensitive town, following the implementation of e-pass system for vehicles bound for Ooty and Kodaikanal.
An interim report prepared by a Joint Committee of experts from IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore has recommended reducing number of private vehicles and encouraging tourists to use buses operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation.
Tourists visiting Valparai in private vehicles from November 1 will have to obtain an e-pass in advance through the portal: epass.tnega.org
