Pokhara—Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), which is an umbrella organization of different tourism related organizations of Pokhara has made it clear that the organization has not barred any Indian vehicles from entering the Pokhara, a tourist town in Gandaki Province of Nepal.
The PTC has recently organized an interaction as some of the national and international media published news reports mentioning that the ‘Indian vehicles not allowed in Pokhara’. Such news appeared in media as Pokhara entrepreneurs have been organizing a Chaliye Pokhara ‘Let’s go to Pokhara’ campaign in India for years and the Nepal Government is marking the Visit Nepal Year 2020.
Such news report came out as the District Administration Office (DAO) Kaski wrote District Police Office Kaski and District Traffic Police Office Kaski not to allow Indian public vehicles to the Pokhara tourist destinations that are connected with narrow roads.
DAO order was based on the December 22 recommendation forwarded by PTC which also wishes to see no Indian public vehicles in the narrow tourist destination. According to PTC, safety and security of visitors and the narrow geographical condition forced PTC to write the DAO.
PTC claimed that such decision will be helpful for good traffic management and in reducing the number of accidents. At the same time, it has been claimed that Indian public vehicles don’t reach to almost all the tourist destinations of Pokhara. So, if Indian tourists use local tourist number plate vehicles, they have opportunity to visit much destinations than now. Such ideas would be helpful in increasing the length of stay of tourists. The PTC further made clear that such request is not only for Indian public vehicles but also for almost all the large vehicles that create traffic congestion in tourist destinations.
Senior hotelier Bachhuram Tiwari, TAAN WRA Pokhara former chairman Som Thapa, TAAN WRA chairman Hari Bhujel, NTB former member Tikaram Sapkota, PTC former chairman Kedarnath Sharma, tourism entrepreneur Bobarjung Gurung and PTC vice chairman Gopi Bhattarai put their remarks in the program.
Leave a Reply