Online booking likely for weekend entry to Ponmudi
The Hindu
Crowd management posing problems for police; concern over motorists’ safety at hairpin curves
The Forest Department is set to launch an online booking system for weekend visitors to Ponmudi. The move comes amid an influx of visitors to the ecotourism destination since its recent reopening following the COVID-19 lockdown.
Crowd management has lately become a daunting task for the local police which have also struggled to ensure motorists’ safety at the 22 hairpin curves along the Vithura-Ponmudi road amid the inclement weather. The route has been witnessing a spate of accidents particularly during the weekends. The online ticketing system to regulate tourist arrival was mooted by the police under such circumstances.
However, the modalities of the proposed system are yet to be finalised. The options being mulled include a mechanism on the lines of the Sabarimala virtual queue system that reserves slots.
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