The Supreme Court on Friday refused to intervene in a Madras High Court order fixing a cap on number of tourist vehicles plying to the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal during the summer season this year.
The High Court had restricted traffic to 6,000 tourist vehicles a day during weekdays and 8,000 vehicles during weekends to the Nilgiris and 4,000 vehicles a day during weekdays and 6,000 during weekends to Kodaikanal between April and June this year.
An apex court Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant found the order “perfectly correct”, prompting the Tamil Nadu Hotels’ Association to withdraw the case.
Earlier, the High Court had, however, made it clear the cap would not apply to the tourists who visit the hill stations using public transport such as government buses and trains and also to the vehicles of local residents and those which transport essential commodities.
The orders were passed after taking note that only 23,000 tourists could be accommodated in a day (at the 1,035 commercial accommodations with 5,620 rooms apart from 575 licensed homestays) in the Nilgiris and only a much smaller number of tourists could be accommodated in Kodaikanal.
The Bench had also ordered that the tourists visiting the hill stations in e-vehicles should be given preference in issuance of e-pass and directed the local bodies concerned to take steps for establishment of sufficient electric charging points at vantage locations for the benefit of the e-vehicle users.
Published - March 28, 2025 10:09 pm IST
