CHANDIGARH: Crippling traffic jams continue to plague key tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh as visitors flock to the hills to escape the scorching heat in the plains.
Between May 1 and June 15, around 15 lakh vehicles entered Shimla, prompting Himachal Pradesh Police to adopt a five-point strategy to manage the summer tourist rush. In Manali, another major tourist destination, more than 3,000 vehicles, apart from luxury buses, are entering the town daily.
The growing number of vehicles has put immense pressure on Shimla's ageing traffic infrastructure, resulting in frequent bumper-to-bumper congestion. To improve traffic management, the hill state's capital has been divided into five sectors, each supervised by a gazetted officer responsible for ensuring smooth traffic movement.
The strategy includes deployment of an additional 210 police personnel, home guards and volunteers. Traffic personnel have also been stationed at major parking sites to facilitate vehicle movement and prevent congestion.
The number of bike-borne traffic personnel has been increased to 32 to enable rapid response to traffic-related incidents. Interceptor vehicles are being deployed in several areas to enforce traffic regulations and act against violations.
To encourage public transport use, larger vehicles such as Travellers and other public transport vehicles have been permitted on Cart Road, reducing dependence on private vehicles and easing congestion.
Tourists travelling beyond Shimla are being advised to use alternative routes. Those heading towards Kufri, Narkanda, Theog and Kinnaur have been encouraged to take the Shoghi-Mehli bypass, which helps reduce traffic pressure within the city and save travel time. Around 800 vehicles are currently being diverted through the route daily.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said more than 15 lakh vehicles had entered the city over the past 45 days and police had implemented a five-point plan that includes additional force deployment, interceptors, bike patrols, monitoring by gazetted officers, use of alternative routes, promotion of public transport and public awareness measures.
He said the main challenge arises when heavy vehicles break down on Cart Road, the town's lifeline, causing long traffic snarls. Removing such vehicles from the narrow road network is often time-consuming.
To tackle the issue, three cranes have been stationed across different sectors. Singh said five vehicles had broken down on Tuesday alone. He also pointed to private buses stopping at unauthorised locations and idle parking as major contributors to congestion.
With schools closing for summer vacations, tourist arrivals across Himachal Pradesh have surged, leading to frequent traffic jams on highways and link roads.
According to hoteliers, average occupancy across tourist accommodations in the state stood at 60-70 per cent on weekdays last week and rose to 80-90 per cent during weekends.
Manali Hoteliers' Association president Roshan Thakur said tourist footfall remained strong throughout May and hotel occupancy in June has been hovering between 80 and 90 per cent. He said the tourism industry is witnessing its strongest business since the Covid-19 pandemic and expected the trend to continue until the monsoon season.
Dharamshala Hotel and Restaurant Association president Ashwani Bamba said tourist arrivals have remained strong since May, with hotel occupancy ranging between 60 and 70 per cent on weekdays and around 75 per cent on weekends.
Sources said around 66,600 vehicles from outside Himachal Pradesh entered Manali in May this year, compared with nearly 41,700 during the same period last year, an increase of about 25,000 vehicles. Nearly 7,500 vehicles entered the town on weekends alone.
Meanwhile, Manali Police have recommended several measures to senior officers, including shifting the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus stand outside the town centre, developing multi-level parking facilities and creating a dedicated traffic wing to handle increasing vehicular pressure.
In a communication to the Kullu Superintendent of Police, Manali SDPO K.D. Sharma called for urgent government intervention to improve traffic management and public convenience. The communication noted that tourist inflow into Manali has increased significantly since the opening of the Atal Tunnel in 2020.
During peak summer and winter seasons, around 10,000 to 12,000 tourist vehicles enter Manali daily in addition to local traffic, placing enormous strain on the town's road network.