The University of Mysore has restricted entry of private vehicles, especially autorickshaws, taxis and goods vehicles, into the sprawling Manasagangotri campus here and vehicles of students and staff are being allowed upon showing their identity proof.
The authorities have proposed to fully curb private vehicle movement into the campus in the coming days and restrictions imposed from Monday had been done on an experimental basis.
The securitymen posted at the entry gates have placed movable barricades and are allowing the vehicles after checking the purpose of visit.
In order to turn the sprawling campus ‘green’, two zero emission buggies had been introduced recently for ferrying students, visitors and the public.The university hopes to add a few more buggies to implement the “no-private-vehicle-inside-Manasagangotri campus” idea.
“The campus was used as a transit route by the people to visit localities and connecting roads abutting the campus. Many universities in the country have banned private vehicles into their campuses. Firstly, we stopped movement of trucks and buses inside the campus and now it’s the turn of other private vehicles barring the students’ and staff vehicles,” said Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar.
He told The Hinduthat those having work on the campus can make use of the buggies for reaching their destination. “We wanted to introduce some user fee but the buggy ride has been made free for the time being.”
Vehicle passes
He said there are also plans to issue vehicle passes to the students and the staff while implementing “total ban” on private transport inside the campus.
Buggies are being currently operated from the main university gate on Bogadi Road and from the gate near Senate Bhavan off Hunsur Road.
Each buggy has cost the university ₹9 lakh and the cost for its operation was around ₹35,000 a year.
Prof. Kumar said the university has proposed to ban all private vehicles inside the campus in the night barring those belonging to the hostel inmates and research scholars, who work in the labs in the night, as an exceptional case.
