Agra: Tourists visiting Taj Mahal had to wait in long queues to reach the monument on Saturday due to a shortage of golf carts. Agra Development Authority operates a golf cart facility to help visitors commute from Shilpgram and west gate parking to the east and west gates of Taj Mahal, respectively. The distance from the parking space to the monument is around 800 meters. Anna Joseph, a tourist from France, said, “We came to know that a golf cart will take us to the monument. Taj Mahal is a world heritage site, and we expected the best of arrangements here.” As per official records, 40 battery-operated golf carts are deployed to transport tourists from parking lots to Taj Mahal. However, a survey conducted by the Taj security police team last month found that only 21 carts were operational. “There is an acute shortage of golf carts at Taj. A fully charged cart hardly operates for around five hours as its battery gets drained. At any given time, the majority of carts remain non-operational. The facility is run by a private contractor and lacks proper monitoring by the authorities concerned. Tourists are facing a lot of inconvenience,” said Deepak Dan, president of Tourist Guides Welfare Association. With the start of the tourism season in October, the number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal has increased. As many as 30,426 people visited the Taj Mahal till 5 pm on Saturday, including over 3,000 foreigners. As per records, on average, 10 people ride in one golf cart. On a daily basis, the carts make 466 rounds from the parking lot to the monuments. Of this, only 4,660 tourists can avail the facility. ADA chairman Ritu Maheshwari, said, “The process to increase the number of carts has been initiated.”
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Agra: Tourists wait long to reach Taj Mahal amid shortage of golf carts

Tourists visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, faced long queues due to a shortage of golf carts. The carts are used to transport visitors from the parking area to the monument, but a survey found that only 21 out of the 40 carts were operational. The carts have a limited battery life, making the situation worse on weekends when more tourists visit. Authorities have acknowledged the issue and are taking steps to increase the number of carts and improve the facility.

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