Tourists will soon have to pay green cess when entering Uttarakhand in cars; EVs, bikes exempted

Uttarakhand is introducing a green cess on out-of-state vehicles entering the state. According to an official announced on Saturday (December 7), the fee, ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 80, will apply on commercial and private vehicles. Although nominal, two-wheelers, electric and CNG vehicles will be exempt from the cess, those registered in Uttarakhand, and vehicles involved in essential services like ambulances and fire trucks, will also be exempt from the cess. Joint Commissioner (Transport) Sanat Kumar Singh said in a statement that the tendering process for implementing the cess system is underway, PTI reported.

“Our goal is to have the system up and running by the end of December,” he said. Automatic number plate recognition cameras will be used to identify out-of-state vehicles, and the cess will be deducted directly from the vehicle owners’ FASTag wallets. The rates will be Rs 20 for three-wheelers, Rs 40 for four-wheelers, Rs 60 for medium vehicles, and Rs 80 for heavy vehicles.

The cess will apply to single-day entries, though vehicle owners can opt for extended validity passes at a higher rate—20 times the daily rate for a quarterly pass and 60 times for an annual pass, the official added.

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Meanwhile, In the past two years, eight heliports have been established in Uttarakhand as part of the government’s initiative to enhance air services infrastructure and improve accessibility to remote hill areas in the state. According to Dayanand Saraswati, Additional CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), heliports at Sahastradhara, Srinagar, Gauchar, Chinyalisaur, Haldwani, Almora, Pithoragarh, and Munsiyari have been completed, and are now operational, offering regular services to passengers.

The UCADA is also working on six additional heliports in Trijuginarayan, Joshimath, Mussoorie, Ramnagar, Bageshwar, and Haridwar, with plans to complete these projects within the next year. The newly built heliports are equipped with facilities to accommodate multiple helicopters simultaneously, including hangars, lounges, canteens, and toilets.

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In addition to these heliports, over 100 helipads have been constructed across the state for passenger services and emergency operations, ensuring better connectivity to the state’s most remote areas. Saraswati also mentioned the ongoing expansion of the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun and Pantnagar Airport in Udham Singh Nagar, with land acquisition currently in progress. Pantnagar is being developed as a greenfield airport, while Jolly Grant is being upgraded to international standards.

(With inputs from PTI)