Tourists visiting the hills in this Yuletide season have a reason to rejoice, as drivers of the hills will move to Tiger Hill, a tourist hotspot, with passengers from Thursday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the traffic advisory committee (TAC) of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) held in Lal Kothi, the GTA headquarters in Darjeeling, on Wednesday.
“After the meeting, the drivers have agreed to visit Tiger Hill with passengers from tomorrow (Thursday),” said Rajesh Chouhan, the deputy chairman of
the GTA.
Since last Friday, hill drivers stopped taking tourists to Tiger Hill citing infrastructure issues like lack of adequate parking space.
The GTA authorities also urged the drivers and transporters of both the plains and the hills to work together and end the impasse that recently cropped up over conducting sightseeing tours in
the hills.
While drivers in plains said they should be allowed to take tourists for sightseeing, those in the hills opposed it, citing that the earnings of local cabs depend on sightseeing tours.
“We also appealed to all stakeholders that keeping in view passenger safety and steep roads leading to some of the most popular sites, only experienced local (hill) drivers should conduct sightseeing tours,” Chouhan added.
The meeting, GTA sources said, was held according to the instructions of the GTA’s chief executive Anit Thapa, following the impasse among drivers of the hills and plains. On Monday, the drivers in the plains had said they would not let vehicles from the hills pick up or drop off tourists at the transit points and hotels in and around Siliguri.
“Another meeting of the TAC would be held on January 16 to review the situation,” said a source.
However, the Joint Forum, an apex body of 10 organisations representing transporters, drivers, and tourism stakeholders based in the plains, softened its stance and refrained from stopping any hill vehicle with
passengers.
On Wednesday, representatives of the Joint Forum, as well as drivers in the hills, said they would abide by the decision.
“The meeting was fruitful, and from tomorrow (Thursday), we will take tourists to Tiger Hill. How the situation will unfold (regarding tourists’ sightseeing) will be reviewed at the next meeting on January 16,” said a representative of the hill drivers’ association.
Those representing the Joint Forum spoke on similar lines. “We have kept our movement on hold for the betterment of tourist services. Our vehicles will continue to ply to the hills, unless any driver faces inconvenience,” said Uttam Thapa, a member of the forum from Bagdogra.
Uday Saha, another forum member from New Jalpaiguri, an important transit point for tourists, thanked the state and the GTA. “We believe in brotherhood and camaraderie and hope the state government and the GTA will ensure free movement of vehicles in the region,” he said.