[airbus]

I was on a road trip to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu on 1st October 2022. While entering Kanyakumari, we were stopped by few persons and collected ₹70 (Rupees Seventy) as the Entry Fee for Kanyakumari. Not sure under what law they are collecting entry fee from Private vehicles on a National Highway (NH-66)? They were not in uniform, did not have ID cards and there was no electronic payment option. If all cities/towns/villages start collecting this kind of fees, how would citizens travel within the country?

Location: Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu 629702

GPS Coordinates: E77.549251 N8.092612

Google Map Location: https://goo.gl/maps/1VuAF4mEA57d2uKn7

Fee Receipt:

Dashcam Video

[libranof1987]

They're here as well:

https://goo.gl/maps/dbzfuvWDg1CzijDp6

https://goo.gl/maps/6UzGt6YEwzgBExC26

Paying at either places works; and, legality is a big question mark. I paid up 70 as well (for Crysta); given that I was driving an out of state car, with no common language skills, I just paid rather than argue.

[Vasuki]

Such entry fees are noted at many places throughout India.

Some places I can remember of are Manali and Leh. I believe they are labeled as green taxes or sort.

Hope they are used for good purposes.

[DicKy]

Dodge them and be stubborn in not stopping. They will continue waving for the next vehicle.

Not been to Kanyakumari since the Covid-19, so don't know how it is at present. Earlier they used to flag down and collect money at the 'arch' entrance (before the Thiruvalluvar Statue era). They then started collecting money both at the 'arch' entrance and down near the circle. Then the NH44 extension was opened, used to take that road to circumvent the usual entrance. Recently, we would go straight to near the circle and park at a small pay n' park ground, since we would be mostly visiting the Kanyakumari Devi temple.

Somehow it gets on my nerves when people collect money to enter a 'municipality' or 'district'. Earlier before the bypass came up, in Madurai they would collect money from out of state vehicles and the receipt would say it is to enter Madurai municipality limits.

[mayukh42]

I remember a similar entry fee at Rameswaram also. In fact I was looking for routes to avoid it, but could not.

As if on cue, here is the name of a locality :

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by mayukh42

I remember a similar entry fee at Rameswaram also. In fact I was looking for routes to avoid it, but could not.

They're now right before Rameshwaram town; a km or so before the Kalam Museum.

[sagarpadaki]

One way to know if the fees is legal or not is to check if they collect even at night, say post 10 or 11PM. Genuine collection points will function 24 hrs. Else it is just a daylight robbery of local jobless people with the support of local politicos with whom they are affiliated to

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

One way to know if the fees is legal or not is to check if they collect even at night, say post 10 or 11PM. Genuine collection points will function 24 hrs. Else it is just a daylight robbery of local jobless people with the support of local politicos with whom they are affiliated to

The Kanyakumari guys are lax in hot afternoons and weekdays.

[GTO]

Recently paid a similar fee at Tiger Point (en route Amby Valley) of all the places! Typical goon-type guy came up when I was exiting. Had the lady in the car, so didn't want to argue in the middle of nowhere over 50 - 70 bucks and potentially pick up a fight with locals. Sucked it up, paid and even got a similar pink receipt for the amount.

[locusjag]

You pay a similar entry fee at many famous spots - Samayapuram (for its Amman temple), Mahabalipuram town entry point fee (can be circumvented by entering from the Southern end I think)...

Heck, when walking through Hogenakkal by foot once between two huge boulders, we were stopped by the hairy leg of a lungi-clad man. His leg acted as a toll barrier for all pedestrians.

The man was a veritable Gandalf and scowled at us with a gruff "you shall not pass". So of course we had to pay him. Not that I advocate men to wax their legs, but for a man with that amount of exposure (the footfalls in Hogenakkal were very high that day), he should think of better presentation!

Note to myself: with waxed legs and a fee being collected, Hogenakkal might just have its very own strip-joint! What are you even suggesting here man

[thanixravindran]

Some of the entry fee collected is legal. In TN, Government has permitted some of the tourist area local bodies to collect entry fee. They need to ensure parking and other facilities for the tourists from the fund collected. Now the local bodies don't collect directly but auction it. So the person who won the auction will try to get as much as return. Some other places have revenue sharing arrangements with local panchayat. Here they cheat with forged or improper receipts. Real receipt will have panchayat seal. We all know who takes this type of contracts.

[AtheK]

Ya paid up similar amount at Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram and also while going to Dhanushkodi.

[Axe77]

I think these are legit. For instance Mahabaleshwar has a similar fee. This is usually some sort of a green tax for hill stations and similar which is charged by local municipalities / panchayats.

As a general matter, I don’t think its not some random goon collecting hafta but an authorised charge by the local municipality.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by airbus

I was on a road trip to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu on 1st October 2022. While entering Kanyakumari, we were stopped by few persons and collected ₹70 (Rupees Seventy) as the Entry Fee for Kanyakumari.

I am not sure if this is legal, but they are collecting this since ages, at least since 1990s. They don't charge this for local people even if they have other state registered vehicle.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

In TN, Government has permitted some of the tourist area local bodies to collect entry fee. They need to ensure parking .

Can understand collecting for parking, but in places it is just for entering the area. The official tourist tickets and parking tickets are collected separately. Heck, even for passing through a city like Madurai, one had to give money. (before bypasses came)