Tour operators and travel agents in the capital cannot operate after September if they do not register with the tourism department. The agencies, estimated at 3,500-4,000, need a mandatory licence to function from Delhi. The last date to apply is September 30, 2011. The process started in January 2010 and was supposed to be completed before the Commonwealth Games. However, till August 31, 2011, only 900 applications had been received as per a report in TOI.

"Tour operators and travel agents in Delhi control about 70% of the travel business in north India. These include ticketing firms, bus operators and those who work specifically with religious tourism among other things. In the past there have several complaints about agencies that promise some service and end up short changing the customer. We have had reports of tourists being promised a five-star hotel but actually being booked in three-star hotels. Similarly, some promise a deluxe bus and send across an ordinary one. When we compile a database of all agencies, their details will be made available on our website," said a government official.

SP Singh of the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training explained that tour operators came under the purview of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules 1993 which were replaced by Delhi Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules 2011. This makes it mandatory for tour operators, travel agents, tourist transport operators and excursion agents to register with the government to safeguard interests of travellers. "In case they fail to do so by September end, tour operators will be fined under section 193 of Motor Vehicles Act. For a first offence, the operator will have to cough up a Rs 1,000 and for the second he will have to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 or face a six-month jail term," said Singh.

Details of the agents will be made available on the tourism department website along with a list of agencies that have been blacklisted. Names of blacklisted agencies, against which complaints have been received, will also be circulated to Indian Consulates in different countries to caution tourists.

"The present estimate of over 3,500 agents has been compiled by going through yellow pages. The registration will also give us an exact number of how many operators actually work in the city. Operators had asked for an extension of a few days for registration but the department has given them a month. However, legal action will have to be initiated against defaulters from October as no further time can be given to them," added Singh.