Bengaluru: The Transport Department has exempted the tourist vehicles entering Mysore from paying road tax between October 5 and 31 to encourage tourists visit Mysore during Dasara festival.
In a notification dated October 6, the Transport Department said the vehicles from other States entering Karnataka to visit Mysuru have been exempted from payment of tax from October 5 to 31.
The move is expected to boost arrival of tourists in Mysuru to participate in Dasara festivities which began on October 1 under the shadow of the Cauvery water dispute. Though the number of tourists visiting Mysuru has been rather low in the first few days of Dasara, stakeholders in the tourism industry are hopeful of an increase in the number of tourists in the coming days.
Welcoming the Transport Department’s initiative, Radhakrishna Holla, president, Bengaluru Tourist Vehicles Owners’ Association, said the exemption of paying road tax would encourage more and more tourists to visit the state. “We have submitted a memorandum to Minister for Tourism Priyanka Kharge on September 20 urging him to extend this facility to the tourists visiting other cities of the state. It will help not only tourists vehicle owners but also hoteliers and others to earn money during the festival season. Generally, this type of exemption would be given only for 10 days but the Transport Department has extended this facility to 15 days more,’’ Radhakrishna Holla said.
