Visitors to Cradle Mountain, including locals, will soon be charged to travel on the shuttle bus between the visitor centre and Dove Lake. Private cars were banned from making the trip on the narrow and windy road to Dove Lake in 2018. Since then, shuttle buses have been used to get people in and out and the service costs the Parks and Wildlife Service more than $3 million a year. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania announced on Friday the bus fare would put access to the iconic gateway to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area on a more sustainable footin. More than 300,000 people visit the park each year and approximately 80 per cent are interstate or international tourists. From 15 November 2023, PWS will introduce a $15 cost recovery charge for the service. Passengers under the age of 18 will travel for free and the $15 ticket will be valid for 72 hours to be used in conjunction with a parks pass. Alternatively, regular visitors can buy an annual shuttle bus ticket for $45. The shuttle bus cost recovery charge will be included as part of the Overland Track booking fee and the Icon Daily National Park Pass, which is valid for 24 hours. "PWS will ensure that commercial operators who currently use the shuttle bus for their guests to enter the park are supported and have time to adopt the new model into their operations," the department said. "Importantly, this cost recovery initiative means that parks pass revenue is reinvested directly into maintaining critical infrastructure and protecting Tasmania's natural and cultural values." Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO Amy Hills said she would be seeking further information about the intended outcome of the new shuttle bus fee to lock in how it will work and how it will impact visitors and locals. "Ensuring the sustainability of providing services to both visitors and Tasmanians is important. And ensuring our visitors contribute back into the services they receive while they are in Tasmania is something that we believe is reasonable," Ms Hills said. "The service currently is high quality and reliable and ensures visitors can access this iconic location, which is a huge demand driver for not only the north west region but also our entire state. "The value of our visitor economy to our State is critical - directly and indirectly supporting more than 37,000 jobs - or about 12 per cent - the highest share in the country. This contribution to our economy is supported by visitation to our state, driven by iconic destinations like Cradle Mountain so we must invest in their future." Ms Hills said the TICT was again calling on both the Tasmanian and Australian Government to urgently outline the next steps on delivering the Cradle Mountain Masterplan, including a future sustainable transport option. "This plan appears to have come to a standstill because it's in the too hard basket for both governments. We must plan for the future sustainability of our icons like Cradle Mountain, and to not have a clear pathway forward is not acceptable to industry."