Manakamana Cable Car hikes fare to Rs 625

MANAKAMANACable Car has hiked the fare for a ride from Kurintar to the Manakamana Temple to Rs 625 per person from Rs 475. The new tariff went into effect from July 16. The shrine is situated atop a 1,302-m hill in Gorkha district, 125 km to the west of Kathmandu. The company said the ticket price had been increased due to rising operating costs. “We were compelled to hike the fare as inflation has increased sharply. Prices of basic necessities like electricity and diesel too have gone up over the period,” said DN Kayastha, station manager of the cable car. He added that the company had hiked fares as they had to give a raise to their staff. The country’s first cable car company employs 70 people. Manakamana Cable Car, which provides the easiest and most popular way to reach the Manakamana Temple, carries hundreds of pilgrims daily. It is estimated that around 800,000 people travelled by the cable car to the temple last year. The cable car service offers 31 cars for passengers two cars for carrying cargo. The alternative route is a steep three-hour hike. Meanwhile, hoteliers operating around the Manakamana Temple said that arrivals had dropped as a result of the sudden increase in tariff. “The sharp rise in ticket prices has discouraged devotees from riding the cable car,” said JB Thapa, a local hotelier. The abrupt increase has caused inconvenience to devotees as well as hoteliers, he added. There are around 52 hotels around the Manakamana Temple. The new tariff— Rs 625 per person— went into effect from July 16