Three out of seven Golf Carts used at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens to transport visitors have been withdrawn from service for more than a year due to the unavailability of new batteries to replace their dead batteries.
These carts are used at the Botanical Gardens to transport local and foreign visitors upon making a payment in addition to the entrance fee.
A one-hour tour of the Botanical Gardens in a Golf Cart carrying seven passengers costs Rs.2,000 with a cart carrying three passengers costing Rs.1,000 per hour. The Golf Carts used at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens are capable of travelling a distance of 16 Kilometres once the battery is fully charged. Accordingly, one cart can be used for several rounds within a day thus bringing an additional income.
“However, the Botanical Gardens authorities have failed to address the high demand for Golf Cart tours in the gardens due to the unavailability of new batteries,” Botanical Gardens sources pointed out. Meanwhile, visitors to the Botanical Gardens on October 1 had complained to officials that sanitary facilities at the Botanical Gardens premises have not been maintained properly and are of a poor standards.
Therefore, they faced difficulties in using them with the children.According to Botanical Gardens officials, the maintenance of internal sanitary facilities are not carried out by its staff and it has been outsourced to a private company.
Officials said that steps will be taken to inform the Deputy Director in charge of the Botanical Gardens for taking necessary action to improve facilities at the Botanical Gardens. The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens marked its 200th anniversary in February this year.
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