Jaisalmer: The municipal council of Jaisalmer has announced a decision to impose an access fee on tourist vehicles entering the Golden City.Municipal council commissioner Lajpal Singh Sodha said the council will construct two plazas on the roads leading to Jaisalmer from Barmer and Jodhpur to collect the fee. Revenue generated under this plan will be funnelled back to finance various beautification and development projects in the city.Under the proposal, rates for various categories of vehicles have been set as follows: Rs 200 for 35-seater buses, Rs 150 for 25-seater buses, Rs 100 for vehicles with more than five seats, Rs 50 for local commercial vehicles used to transport tourists and Rs 50 for all other types of vehicles.Sodha said all central and state govt vehicles, ambulances and private vehicles registered in Jaisalmer are exempt from the fee, while it will apply to all private and commercial vehicles from any other district or state.In a related move, the city’s municipal council has contracted a private firm to operate golf carts for tourists visiting the city’s historic Sonar Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Up to 40 golf carts will be deployed as part of the service that will operate from Neeraj Bus Stand to the fort. The council has fixed fares for golf cart rides at Rs 30 per passenger. The municipal council expects to earn Rs 4.6 lakh in annual royalties from this service in the first year, with a 10% increase for every subsequent year.
