Ritika
Badlapur : Matheran Hill Station, located a few kilometers from Neral Railway Station of the Central Railway near Mumbai, has a history of 172 years. E-Rickshaw service has been started for the first time at Matheran Hill Station, where till now the movement of vehicles was prohibited, E-Rickshaw will play an important role in the tourism development of Matheran in future.
The Matheran Sanctuary was discovered by the British in 1850, since then Matheran has a vehicle ban to prevent damage to the environment. Hence tourists had to park their cars at Dasturi Point vehicle stand and then travel 3 km to Matheran Giristan by horse or hand pulled rickshaw. Even the mini train running between Neral to Matheran was erratic till now. Also, the prices of horses and auto rickshaws were not affordable for many, so most tourists had to walk 3 kilometers from Dasturi Point to Matheran.
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All these were affecting the tourism of Matheran. But according to the changing times, there was a demand to allow e-rickshaws to ply in Matheran Desert without harming the environment. For this, Sunil Shinde of Matheran went to the Supreme Court and pursued it for 12 years. Eventually e-rickshaw service was started in Matheran as per the orders of the Supreme Court. Initially this e-rickshaw will be run on a trial basis for three months. Matheran Girishthan Municipal Council Chief Officer Surekha Bhanage said that the next policy will be decided by the municipality after seeing the response to the e-rickshaw service.
E-rickshaw service will provide great relief to tourists coming to Matheran
Let us tell you that at present this e-rickshaw has been started through Matheran Municipal Council and for this, 35 rupees are being charged for the journey of 3 km from Dasturi Point to Matheran Market. For students, this rate will be Rs.5 only. This e-rickshaw service will provide great relief to the tourists coming to Matheran and in future Matheran tourism will also get a big boost. Local residents, senior citizens, students will also benefit from this e-rickshaw service.
