New e-pass system in the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal from today; confusion still reigns over its implementation

New e-pass system in the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal limits tourist vehicles, prioritising sustainable fuels, causing concern and protests among locals

The new e-pass system, restricting the number of tourist vehicles, as mandated by the Madras High Court, will come into operation in the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal on April 1. It will remain in force till June 30.

In a banner, the Nilgiris administration announced that only 6,000 vehicles would be allowed into the district on weekdays and 8,000 vehicles at weekends.

Vehicles for medical or other emergencies, government buses, goods vehicles, and district vehicles are exempt from the purview of the system.

However, potential travellers are puzzled about certain aspects of the system, even as the link (https://epass.tnega.org) for travellers to register themselves for e-passes was unveiled on Monday.

The application form has a field for users to specify the fuel their vehicle uses: petrol, diesel, CNG, electric, or hybrid. The High Court had specified that vehicles using sustainable and non-polluting fuels should be given priority in the grant of e-passes.

Dindigul Collector S. Saravanan recently told The Hindu that the Chief Secretary had conducted a meeting to discuss the modalities for implementing the court order. He pointed out that last year, the administration had noticed the cancellation of about 15% of the e-passes granted. This deprived genuine tourists of a chance to visit the hills. Hence, the administration has planned to keep a buffer for those seeking e-passes against cancellation.

Among the other measures, bulk bookings would come under the scanner. As the e-passes would be checked at the foothills, traffic congestion on the ghat road, especially at the Silver Cascade, would be avoided. The Collector admitted that there would be glitches in the first 15 days, but they would be rectified at the earliest.