Following the decision of the district administration to restrict the number of vehicles entering the hilly ranges of Chikkamagaluru to 300 a day in the wake of Covid-19, hundreds of tourist vehicles returned from the Kaimara checkpost on Saturday.
Vehicles had remained stranded in a queue for nearly one and a half kilometre from Kaimara check post towards Chikkamagaluru. A few vehicles returned on learning about the restrictions, while people in others were seen pleading with the personnel at the check post to allow them to enter the tourist spots.
Normally, more than 1,500 tourist vehicles enter the hilly areas during weekends.
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A total of 150 vehicles each will be allowed to visit Seethalayyanagiri, Mullayyanagiri, Guru Dattatreya Bababudanswami Dargah, Manikyadhara waterfalls in two shifts.
The vehicles are allowed to visit these areas from 6 am to 9 am and 2 pm to 4 pm.
With this, around 1,200 tourists can visit these places in a day, said deputy commissioner K N Ramesh. Only 200 visitors are allowed to visit Rathnagiri Bore Park, 100 people each to Hirekolale Kere and Ayyanakere in a day. These places will remain open from 6 am to 6 pm. There are no restrictions for local vehicles.
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