Mount Abu A Ticket To Ride

 THE TOLL TAX MOUNT ABU

A Ticket to ride

My home town Mt.Abu has for aeons been collecting a visitors tax on all newcomers who turn up the hillside to visit this great tourist sight on the hillside of the Aravali. On entering Abu, they encountered HUGE Posters of WELCOME To Mount Abu at the great toll tax barrier. Thus, to their utter annoyance, they are handed out with a ticket of admission per individual and per vehicle. This start of their sojourn journey leaves a great populace of visitors quite bitter and annoyed as they think they have been deluded. On the tickets, I feel that a few delightful and humourous quotes should be stamped to put these important guests in a better frame of mind. Although they cannot evade their requirement of paying their tax, we should prepare them to feel at home. “Your dreams are where your destiny begins”. Welcome to the Haven of Rajasthan. I hardly ever go towards the toll tax barrier but yesterday an episode that resulted at the barrier forced me to head there around 8.15pm. The Abu Toll Tax Barrier area has gone High-tech and flaunts quite a unique look specifically at night. It’s well lit up and has computerized check posts with automatic lowering and lifting check bars. 

I received a call from my son-in-law specifying that they were going to seize his automobile because he supposedly had bumped into one of the lowering bars, being an Abuite ( local citizen) he put up his hand to identify himself he was waved on by one guy at the station, as he drove halfway through the restricted area he suddenly got a bump on the hood of his automobile, he screeched to a grinding halt but it was too late the aluminium drawbar that descended on his hood got slightly bent at the base, the young lad manning the controls came running out of his cabin shouting in the local dialect, “Aik aur gadi thuk gai” ( One more vehicle has been hit), some sort of miss-management had taken place and this was the second vehicle that had bumped into a toll bar. The owner of the previous vehicle, a visitor who visited Abu, had to suffer a barrage of queries? They hauled him up and subsequently finished paying Rs11, 000/- as damages for a cracked aluminium drawbar? While we waited at the check post for some resolution to be accepted by the guys at the toll bar, we were notified that the chairperson’s mobile was turned off and that he was not accessible and they could only come to a resolution the next day. They summoned us to deposit an amount of Rs11, 000/- or leave our car behind. I asked them if I could deposit a cheque, for which I got an affirmative “NO” cheque only cash. I had to go into town to pick up the eleven grand. Here’s the voucher that they handed to me.

Cash voucher as fine toll barrier Mt Abu

Will keep you posted on what unfolds tomorrow. The guys at the Toll Nakka should have more competent men manning the electronically controlled barriers, so innocent and genuine people are not harassed. This additional barrier has posed a real big problem for us, locals. While the Municipality is busy collecting revenue from the incoming tourist influx, it makes the locals wait in a queue for clearance of the visitors, in peak season time, it’s real bugging. They should have made a separate lane for the local Abuites where they are not harassed and their peace of mind is re-assured. The local authorities should remember it’s the locals who are at the receiving end and should be the last people to be made game off.