Siliguri, 23rd December: From Tuesday, vehicles registered in Darjeeling will not be allowed to pick up tourists from Siliguri, following an announcement by drivers’ organisations from the Terai region.
The decision comes amid ongoing allegations that tourist vehicles travelling from Siliguri to Darjeeling are being stopped and restricted from operating at sightseeing locations in the hills.
Despite several rounds of discussions over the past few weeks, no resolution has been reached. On Monday, drivers from the plains declared that vehicles from Darjeeling would similarly be barred from carrying tourists from the plains. Under the new arrangement, Darjeeling vehicles arriving in the plains will have to drop passengers and return empty.
From Tuesday morning, tourists continued to travel to Darjeeling in vehicles from Siliguri as usual. However, drivers said they were seeking an early resolution to the dispute and urged both sides to sit for talks to settle the matter amicably.
Earlier, drivers and tour operators from the plains had approached the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and other officials after vehicles were allegedly stopped in the hills. Talks were subsequently held between both sides with administrative mediation.
During those discussions, hill-based drivers’ organisations demanded that tourists hire local vehicles for sightseeing in the hills, while Siliguri vehicles should only ferry tourists up to the hill region.
In response, drivers from the plains have now taken reciprocal action, escalating the standoff between the two sides.