Collector bans off-road MUV safari in Idukki
According to officials, the Collector imposed the ban following an MUV accident in Munnar recently in which a tourist was killed and 10 were injured.
The order stated that the recent event had brought to light the urgent need for regulating vehicular tourism in areas characterised by hilly terrain, narrow and winding roads, steep gradients, and prone to landslides. The operation of such services without official oversight exposes passengers to grave risk, said the order.
Lack fitness certificates
It further stated that vehicles conducting safaris often lack valid fitness certificates. Most often the vehicles are modified ones which are poorly maintained. Drivers with unverified qualifications, lacking formal training or licensing specific to high-risk terrain and tourist operations are used to conduct services. Lack of uniform safety standards, standard operating procedures, passenger insurance or accountability in the event of accidents are other issues. Noise and ecological disturbance lead to degradation of fragile mountain environments. The services pose serious public safety risks and undermine disaster readiness, according to the order.
The Collector further said that to ensure supervision by the district administration, all safari vehicles, including individual, institutional, off-road, and ecotourism safaris, are banned in the district with immediate effect.
'Collect details'
To ensure a proper facility, the local bodies are directed to collect the details of the safari vehicles, drivers, and routes under their jurisdiction. A committee comprising representatives from the panchayats, police, Motor Vehicles department (MVD), District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), and the Revenue and Forest departments will examine the details under the supervision of the respective Subcollectors. The list of vehicles and routes should be submitted to the district administration on July 10. Based on the verification, the off-road MUV safari will be resumed with proper guidance, said the Collector.
Kolukkumala
According to officials, the ban on off-road MUVs did not impact the Kolukkumala off-road vehicle safari. The authorities have already completed safety inspections of the off-road safari vehicles in Kolukkumala. Last week, the MVD completed the inspection of 210 off-road vehicles used for off-road safaris in Kolukkumala.
Meanwhile, drivers of MUV vehicles staged protests in various parts of the district on Monday against the sudden ban. They claimed that thousands of people depended on the income from off-road vehicle safaris.
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