Jammu: In a goodwill gesture and first of its kind initiative, the private cab operators of Jammu has decided to offer free pick and drop service between Jammu Tawi Railway Station and Shri Amarnath Ji Base Camp to the visiting pilgrims, during the 62-day long Shri Amarnath Yatra starting from July 1.
Welcoming the enhanced duration of pilgrimage, Chairman Inderjeet Sharma, Jammu Province Tourist Taxi Operator Federation (JPTTOF) said that taxi operators eagerly wait for the Yatra every year as it is one of main sources of livelihood for the industry.
“The duration of 62-days provide opportunity to our people to take the pilgrims towards cave shrine through Baltal and Pahalgam routes, and make their both end meet” he said, adding, “To extend the happiness, for the first time Jammu cab operators decided to offer free pick and drop service for pilgrims between Jammu Tawi Railway Station and Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar, the base Base Camp of the yatra.
Sharma said that JPTTOF along with Taxi Union Railway Station daily place cabs at the station to ferry the pilgrims and drop at Base Camp. The same cabs also pick pilgrims and drop them off at Station. He maintained that initially 10 cabs will be pressed into service and if required vehicles fleet would be extended.
Meanwhile, the administration also finalized the arrangements and established five ‘Tatkal’ (urgent) registration counters at prominent locations of Jammu city.
“In all five counters have been established for Tatkal registration of the pilgrims at Vaishnavi Dham, Mahajan Sabha, Panchayat Ghar and two at Geeta Bhawan and Ram Mandir for the registration of Sadhus,” an official.
The online helicopter tickets booking will also commence from this week for the yatra. The booking for Baltal, Pahalgam and Srinagar routes will commence this week and more than four lakh pilgrims are expected to visit this year.
Administration has also planned ‘Jammu Darshan’ for the pilgrims to boost tourism and attract more tourists to Jammu and Kashmir. So far, around 3 lakh pilgrims have reportedly registered themselves online for the yatra.
