Tour operators call for withdrawal of Tiger Hill coupon system
Times of India | 28 January 2025
123 Darjeeling: After the waiver of the Sandakphu forest fee — prompted by the Chief Minister — tour operators in Darjeeling have called for the removal of the coupon system for entry of vehicles at the famed sunrise point in Tiger Hill, implemented by the Darjeeling Traffic Police.
They have further criticised the maintenance fee imposed by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) at the famed tourist destination, terming it to be ‘excessive' and have demanded a reduction.
The tour operators in Darjeeling said the coupon system started in 2019. Initially, it was free, and later Rs 10 was charged for each vehicle. After many requests, the fee was lifted in 2022. Though they waived the fee, the forest department used to charge Rs 50 per person at the entry of Tiger Hill since 2019. Meanwhile, the GTA also started charging Rs 20 per head as a maintenance fee since 2022. Earlier, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council used to charge a nominal fee of Rs 10 per head for maintenance.
Pradeep Lama, general secretary of the Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents (DATA), claimed that despite multiple written requests to the relevant departments, no action was taken regarding the removal of the coupon system for Tiger Hill. He emphasised that they would continue to approach the Darjeeling Police to ensure that no tourist was deprived of the opportunity to witness the sunrise.
"The coupon system, introduced by the traffic department, has made it increasingly difficult to provide taxis for tourists who book last-minute rides or for those staying in homestays outside Darjeeling. As a result, these tourists are missing out on the iconic sunrise at Tiger Hill. Many visitors, especially those staying for just one night, find the process confusing and often too late to get a coupon once they understand the requirements," said Lama.
Visitors to Tiger Hill, which also falls under Senchel Wildlife Sanctuary in Darjeeling, had not been charged any forest fee since Thursday. Bidhan Tamang, vice-president of the Himalayan Transport Coordination Committee, stated that the token system was unjustified.
"The token system operates like a permit, but it has negatively impacted local drivers due to malpractices, with tokens often being taken by travel agencies and drivers from Siliguri. Local drivers are suffering, especially since tokens are unavailable after 2 pm during peak season. We are likely to be called for a meeting with the administration and concerned departments in the first week of Feb to address the matter," said Tamang.
Darjeeling Traffic officer-in-charge, Dorjee Sherpa, explained that the coupon system was introduced to manage the influx of outside vehicles and to prevent traffic jams. " We issue only 700 tokens per day, and these can be collected the day before the planned visit. No vehicle can go uphill without the coupons," said Sherpa.
According to the traffic officials, 50 tokens each will be issued from Kurseong, Sukhia Pokhari, and Jorebunglow, while from Sadar, 700 tokens can be collected every day between 9:30 am to 8:30 pm. The coupons can be obtained from the mentioned traffic office one day ahead of the visit.
Lama further criticised the maintenance fee , especially considering that visitors do not receive significant benefits in return.Arijit Mitra, executive diirector, GTA (Tourism), said the department has not received any request as such. "If they do, they will look into the matter," he added.The NGT has taken note of complaints regarding the violation of the sanctity of Tiger Hill.