Barmer/Jaisalmer, Feb. 6 -- The Jaisalmer Municipal Council has decided to reintroduce, after 22 years, passenger tax on tourist and commercial vehicles entering the city. The decision comes at a time when Jaisalmer is witnessing an unprecedented surge in tourist arrivals, particularly during the peak season from October to March. The proposal has received approval from the state government's department of autonomous governance, and a gazette notification was issued on January 28, paving the way for implementation of the tax. Municipal Council commissioner Lajpal Singh Sodha said the passenger tax has been introduced with the objective of strengthening the city's basic infrastructure and upgrading tourism-related facilities to world-class standards. Sodha said that although the tax was scheduled to come into force from February 1, it has not yet been implemented due to ongoing construction and technical work at the proposed entry checkpoints on Jodhpur Road and Barmer Road. He said the tax system will be enforced as soon as work on the checkpoints is completed and a final operational framework is put in place. According to the officials, under the new system, tourist and commercial vehicles entering the city will be charged a fee ranging from Rs.50 to Rs.200, depending on the category of the vehicle. Private vehicles belonging to local residents of Jaisalmer will be completely exempt from the tax, while both locally registered taxis and taxis coming from outside the city will fall within its scope. The decision has been driven largely by the sharp and sustained rise in tourist footfall over the last decade. Official tourism data shows that 44,88,044 tourists visited Jaisalmer in 2024. Officials said the massive inflow of tourists creates serious challenges for the desert city, including waste management issues, faster deterioration of roads due to heavy vehicular movement, increased traffic congestion and rising pollution levels during the tourist season. To manage these challenges, the Municipal Council has identified two of the busiest entry routes into Jaisalmer, which are used by tourists arriving from Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Gujarat and southern Rajasthan. Modern toll checkpoints are being developed at these locations, and vehicles will be allowed to enter only after official receipt issuance. The Municipal Council expects the passenger tax to generate lakhs of rupees annually, which will be directly invested in the conservation and beautification of tourist destinations, modernization of the city's sanitation system, and repair and expansion of roads and civic amenities. Officials believe that the move will not only help improve urban services but also ensure sustainable tourism growth in Jaisalmer....