This story is from June 18, 2019

Fight for Rohtang permit ends

The struggle to visit Rohtang Pass, it seems, has finally ended after a large number of permits were left unsold on the official website. Despite the fact that permits can be booked a week in advance there were no takers for June 24 till late Monday evening. Infact, a large number of permits are available for June 20, 21, 22 and 23 and they can be booked easily by anybody.
Fight for Rohtang permit ends
Representative image
MANALI: The struggle to visit Rohtang Pass, it seems, has finally ended after a large number of permits were left unsold on the official website. Despite the fact that permits can be booked a week in advance there were no takers for June 24 till late Monday evening. Infact, a large number of permits are available for June 20, 21, 22 and 23 and they can be booked easily by anybody.
Of late, all 1,300 permits were seen getting booked within 30 seconds of opening of the website window every day.
Until last week, local taxi drivers were hiring others to book permit for them at a higher cost. Both tourists and taxi operators even resorted to agitations, shouted slogans against administration for the want of permits.
But as the tourist season comes to a close the taxi operators refuse to waste permit fee of Rs 550. “We are not getting advance booking as number of tourists visiting Manali is decreasing every day,” said a taxi operator Chaman Thakur. “The peak season will end by June 25. We are expecting the last batch of bumper crowd in coming weekend. We shall book permit only if we are approached by tourists,” he added.
There is a cap of 800 petrol and 400 diesel engine vehicles who can get permit to visit Rohtang Pass for tourism purpose on a daily basis. Besides, 100 special permits are available for non-Himachal vehicles. Until last week, over 20,000 permits were in demand every day.
It is expected that Manali would get relief from long traffic jams in the coming days. However, demand for permits for Ladakh and Lahaul has increased which will keep the Manali-Rohtang highway busy till the end of this month.
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