IDUKKI: The recent altercation between visitors and local tourism workers at Top Station, on the Munnar-Vattavada route, has once again triggered a debate over tourist safety, traffic indiscipline and the need for stronger policing in the highland tourism sector.
The latest incident was reportedly triggered when a tourist bus from Varkala stopped roadside at Top Station to drop visitors.
The tourists alleged that a local man verbally abused them, following which an argument escalated into a physical confrontation involving tourists, staff members and local tourism workers.
“Those who have visited Top Station know there are no proper parking facilities there and vehicles are parked along the roadside. We were only trying to drop off family members after reversing the vehicle when the issue started,” one of the tourists claimed on social media.
Following the incident, several online posts surfaced accusing local groups of intimidating tourists and interfering with tourism-related operations in the region.
Tourists and travel operators alleged that repeated confrontations were affecting visitor confidence and damaging Kerala’s tourism image. Complaints also highlighted issues including harassment of tourists, obstruction of movement and financial losses to tour operators, hotels and local businesses dependent on tourism.
At the same time, residents and local tourism workers argue that reckless behaviour by tourists has also become a major concern in the region.
There have been several incidents involving tourist buses being parked on highways and estate roads for creating reels and dance videos, leading to massive traffic congestion on already crowded routes including the Munnar-Mattupetty-Echo Point stretch and the Kochi-Dhanushkodi national highway corridor. Locals say confrontations occur when tourists block narrow roads, play loud music and disrupt traffic movement, particularly during peak tourism seasons.
Residents also point out that emergency vehicles and local commuters are often forced to wait for long periods because of such activities.
Meanwhile, demands have intensified for establishing a police aid post at Top Station, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Kurangani police station in Theni district, located around 105km away.
Residents say immediate police access is essential to prevent conflicts and maintain order in the busy tourism zone.
Munnar grama panchayat president S Vijayakumar said awareness programmes have been conducted for jeep drivers and tourism workers following similar incidents reported earlier in nearby areas.
He said such conflicts have reduced considerably in recent times. He also said the panchayat is planning to introduce a decentralised transport system for destinations like Meesapulimala, where tourists arriving in large buses would be shifted to jeeps to reduce congestion and avoid traffic-related disputes.