E-way to BNP, Bandipur

H M Aravind, TNN | Jun 26, 2012, 06.29AM IST MYSORE: Visitors to Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore, and Bandipur tiger reserve can now book tickets online. The e-ticket facility will be launched at the BNP which will allow visitors to buy tickets to visit the facility which has a zoo, a museum and butterfly park. The e-ticket for Bandipur will allow visitors to book for accommodation and safaris too. The Zoo Authority of Karnataka, which on Monday introduced the e-ticket facility at the Zoo, said it is extending it to BNP. ZAK chairman M Nanjundaswamy said, "The Mysore Zoo is the first conservation centre in India to allow online booking of tickets." The BNP is attached to the ZAK. The idea is to save time standing in serpentine queues. Tourists can purchase the e-tickets at the zoo's official website www.mysorezoo.info. Rates are different for adults, children and foreign tourists. The e-ticket will be valid for seven days from the date of purchase and the holders will get a separate entry point to the zoo. "This is convenient for the visitors and also saves paper for us," Nanjundaswamy explained. ZAK is also planning to tie-up with the Mysore Palace Board to allow visitors to purchase a single ticket that allows entry to the Palace and zoo. The zoo will charge Rs 10 per transaction. Those who book online must show an ID proof. As of now, the visitor has to take a printout of the e-ticket and present it at the gate. The zoo is planning to make it paperless soon by sending the ticket to the mobile or iPad.Payments are processed on a secure server and no personal data is collected and stored on any servers as a precautionary measure. Both credit and debit cards can be used and all leading payments processing systems such as VISA and MasterCard are accepted. Along with e-tickets, visitors can pre-order battery-operated vehicles for tours inside the Zoo, pay for usage of still and video cameras, book luggage racks and pay for parking which is on a first-come, first-serve basis. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/E-way-to-BNP-Bandipur/articleshow/14400594.cms