Tab on touts, taxi drivers and other undesirables:

Tourist police stations soon to prevent harassment

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

The Police Department will set up tourist police stations in areas where a large number of tourists congregate and investigate complaints of those holidaying in the country.

“Top priority will be given to tourist-related issues in the near future due to the tourists influx into the country from Western Europe, UK, Middle East and India , a senior police officer told the Sunday Observer.

He said that steps will be taken soon to set up separate tourist police stations in Mount Lavinia, Unawatuna and Arugam Bay and extend it to other towns such as Passikudah, Kalkudah, Narigama, Nilaveli and Anuradhapura which are earmarked as tourist destinations. Policemen posted to these stations will deal with full-time tourism related work such as keeping a tab on touts, taxi drivers, conmen, beach boys and other undesirables who harass tourists.

He said the logistics with regard to manpower will be worked out later. The Tourist Authority together with the local body have decided to register all boats hired by tourists due to the constant harassment of tourists by boatmen at Gregory’s Lake, Nuwara Eliya.

Likewise, boats offered for hire in other locations will also be registered. Steps will also be taken to deploy Lifeguards at resorts where several foreign tourists had drowned while bathing in the sea. The scheme will be worked out in collaboration with hotels and resorts in areas where tourists spend their vacations.

Meanwhile, a scheme is being worked out by the Tourism Authority and the police to issue a coloured uniform to three- wheeler taxi drivers who park their vehicles around five star hotels in Fort and Kollupitiya to prevent harassment to tourists.

A special ticket counter will be set up at the Fort Railway station for foreign tourists and more security officers will be deployed in trains. Discussions are now under way with the Railway authorities to facilitate it. The newly revived tourist police will come under the purview of the Director, Police Headquarters, Senior Superintendent of Police Maxie Proctor.